The Bridge We Burnt
by sistergrimm97
Summary: The rebellion is over, but the war has just begun. After being told Korra can no longer access the Avatar State without killing herself in the process, the Gang travels to the South Pole to seek help. But when Korra is forced to choose between saving the people she loves or herself, she knows there was never any option. Makorra. Multi-chapter fic. Angst. SpiritWorld/SouthPole.
1. Chapter 1

**Legend of Korra (c) Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino. **

* * *

Mako could see that something was wrong with Korra. It wasn't that her personality had changed in any way or her bending skills had puttered out. No, the young Avatar was just as obnoxious and loud as before. Her airbending training continued as per usual with Korra's skill growing stronger with each passing day, and she had made several connections with her predecessor, Avatar Aang.

The change was subtle; a flicker of weariness, a small stumble here and there over nothing. No one else seemed to notice and went on with their day-to-day lives as per usual, not catching the signs of passing exhaustion and far-off looks.

But Mako did.

The firebender could read people like a book, but only if they let their pages lie open. He couldn't very well force apart the covers and search for the problem like a dictionary. Luckily for him, Korra bared her pages to anyone willing enough to look. She really wasn't trying to hide anything – it was just that Mako could tell she thought she didn't have time to be tired.

Her boyfriend shouldn't have been surprised by her energy – or rather, her lack thereof. Korra was the Avatar, the master of all four elements, bridge between worlds and harbinger of peace for the four nations. She had every right to be tired, what with how much exertion it took her to bring everyone's bending back.

But something was nagging at the back of Mako's mind: Korra had had all the energy in the world between the time she had defeated Amon and two weeks ago. That was nearly a six-month gap. So why was she slowing now, when the imminent danger had passed?

The sounds of a forceful wind hit Mako's ears as he disembarked the ferry at Air Temple Island. It was a sound he had grown accustomed to over the last six months and was a sort of Pavlov to him; every time he heard it, his mouth quirked up into a knowing smirk. He thanked the captain of the ship once more and began the walk up to the training grounds, relishing the sunlight that peaked out from behind the temple's shortest tower.

It was a beautiful spring day in Republic City, one Mako was planning on taking full advantage of with his girlfriend. Avatar Korra may have lived here for more than half a year now, but with all the airbending and spiritual training being thrust upon her like extra homework, she had yet to really see the city in its entire splendor.

The firebender could see it now; he'd show her the bookstore he used to bring Bolin to twice a week to teach him to read. Regale her with the story of how Avatar Aang had proposed to Katara (though she'd probably already heard it) and reveal at the last moment that it had been at the very spot outside the pro-bending arena where Mako and her had first kissed. Bring her to the pond hidden deep within the park's forest where he used to catch fish for dinner. And then, right when the sun hit the trees and cast the jagged shadows across the ground, he'd –

"Mako!"

The young boy flinched at the high pitched squeal and whirled around to see Ikki running at him full force, her arms outstretched like a crocodile's mouth. Mako relaxed visibly, relieved that the little girl had given him some warning this time, at least. The last time she had tackled him, Ikki had propelled herself using wind currents and knocked them both back into a tree. _She _had been fine; Mako's aching back, however, took most of the impact.

"Hi, Ikki," he said with a bemused smile as she launched herself into his arms and given him a quick hug. "Do you know where Korra is?"

Jinora, who had been following a sae distance away from her younger sister, giggled. "The same place she is every morning, goof. Where else would she be?"

The eldest airbending child was by far the calmest and, in Mako's opinion, the easiest to get along with. She had the attitude of a true airbender; balanced, calm, yet strong-willed and passionate. The older boy respected the girl regardless of his age being double hers. It wasn't easy keeping your cool around Ikki and her younger brother Meelo.

The teenager shook his dark head of hair ruefully, chuckling and thanking them. The two girls followed him dutifully over to the training grounds, where the winds had grown much more violent and the leaves whipped off the trees as if it were already fall.

Just around the corner, Mako heard an older man's voice call out above the gales of wind. "Relax, Korra! Focus all your energy on hitting the target spot-on. Calm your thoughts until all you can visualize is the center, and then unleash."

Rounding the bend, Mako suddenly heard nothing. The leaves stopped rustling, the wind's roar ripped from its throat. The training center was at the most still the boy had ever seen it; nothing moved in the slightest, a perfect painting of the grounds at its most empty.

Except it wasn't empty. There stood Tenzin in the far back, watching the Water Tribe girl in the center. His eyes bored into her back intently, looking for the slightest movement, the tiniest change in posture. There was none.

Where the normal Korra usually practiced her fighting styles and evasive maneuvers, a completely different Avatar stood. She was facing her boyfriend, but she showed no signs of even noticing his presence. Her shoulders were relaxed, her head bowed and her fingers brought together in front of her chest as though she were praying. Her stance, feet shoulder width-apart, was rigid, and even from his distance, Mako could see sweat drip down her cheek and splash against her shirt. He, too, was taken aback by the way Korra had transformed within mere seconds, and couldn't help but stare.

It was like watching a dance recital. One moment, the ballerinas were all on pointe, their postures perfect and prepared, the next they were effortlessly going through the steps of their number. Almost as if in slow-motion, Korra's hands detached from each other and spun around gracefully in a large circle. Her right foot came up slightly; her right hand pointing with two fingers toward the sky and her left in a defensive position on her side.

Korra's eyes flew open, their dark blue flashing with concentration. The feeling of vulnerability shattered, and her right foot slammed into the ground, its toes pointing to the single target at the other end of the grounds. Her arm swung down in a half-arc and, torso leaning forward, shot a gust of wind straight through the bull's-eye.

The target had never stood a chance.

Ikki and Jinora started clapping wildly, cheering for the girl they looked up to as an older sister. Tenzin walked up behind her and took her shoulder, saying, "Good job, Korra. You did very well."

Mako just grinned, proud of how far his girlfriend had come in her training since six months ago. Airbending had been as hard for Korra to figure out as it had been for Mako to admit he was in love with her. _I guess we've both figured things out, _he thought to himself.

Korra looked back towards her boyfriend and noticed him standing there for the first time. Her face broke into a delighted smile, and she walked over to him, touching his arm lightly for but a second. Where her fingers had been, fire seared through his skin; he couldn't believe she still had this power over him.

"Hey, Cool Guy," the Water Tribe girl said brightly, "how do _you _think I did?" She wiggled her eyebrows jokingly, and Mako laughed, grabbing her arms and pulling her close. He kissed her temple lovingly, and she sighed into his embrace.

"Fantastic, as usual." He murmured into her hair.

"Ahem."

The two broke apart, Korra's eyes rolling in exasperation as Mako pulled away reluctantly. Tenzin had come up from behind, his expression unreadable. It wasn't that the councilman didn't like Mako; it was just that he preferred their love life be kept to a minimum during training… and around his kids.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Tenzin asked, "Shall we check the target?" Not waiting for an answer, he turned and walked to the other end. Korra and Mako exchanged an amused glance before following him.

Halfway to the other end, Korra tripped and stumbled. On instinct, Mako's arm flashed out and caught her by the waist, pulling her back up. Frowning, he looked searchingly at the ground, but Korra's mumbled thanks kept him from looking for too long. It hadn't escaped his notice, though; there was no guilty obstacle anywhere near the couple that the Avatar could have tripped over.

Tenzin was already inspecting the target by the time they got there, a single finger wedged into a hole in the center. He pulled away, and Mako got a good look at the destruction his girlfriend had caused. A hole, no wider than his index finger, had been blasted through the straw, leaving a near perfect hole dead in the middle of the bull's eye.

The teacher looked back at his pupil, eyes wide. "Kriminy, Korra! You could've pierced someone's heart with this attack!"

Korra's eyes were wide with astonishment. "_I _did that?" She said. She looked from the target to her hands, her face breaking into an ear-splitting grin. "Cool!"

Mako laughed at that.

"Does that mean your training is done for the day?" The brown-haired girl seemed to consider this for a moment before turning to the third person of their party.

"Tenzin?"

The airbender hesitated. "I don't know, Korra…" He looked at the pair of pleading gazes, and his resolved crumbled. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Well… Okay, but only because you've been doing so well with training and you deserve some rest after what happened last night."

Korra cringed at his words, but Mako doubled back. "Wait, what happened last night?"

"Some guy who had lost his bending came pounding on the temple doors in the middle of the night. Said that he couldn't wait until morning unless we wanted him to completely lose his mind."

"I was about to lose my mind," Korra scowled at the memory, not pleased at what she was seeing. "As if I wasn't already barely sleeping, the idiot –" Mako's eyebrows furrowed together; Wake-up calls at two am? Sleeping troubles? What was going _on?_

As if sensing she had said too much, the Avatar's mouth set itself into a firm line and refused to cooperate for the rest of the conversation. Finally, with the promise that the firebender would have Korra back for dinner and yes, he would be more than happy to drag Bolin and Asami with them, the young couple ran off to the water. Because when you were the Avatar's boyfriend, why wait for the ferry?

* * *

**GUYSGUYSGUYS**

**I HAD THIS EPIPHANY. AND IT MADE ME SEE THIS HUGE STORY. NOT LIKE HUGE IN THE SENSE OF A MILLION CHAPTERS BUT HUGE LIKE OHMYGOD I NEED TO WRITE THIS _NOW. _**

**I promise the whole thing isn't like this; you guys know me, everything I write is super dee-duper angst ridden and full off happy endings of love. BUT. This one will be written way better and I promise you that the action comes next chapter. I know, already! **

**Oh, and by the way: Korra will be in the Spirit World for a long time in this story. Just so you know. But she isn't there on purpose. **

**OKAYTHATSITBYE. **


	2. Chapter 2

"Wait, a pythonaconda?" Korra laughed, astonishment evident in her features. "You're kidding, right?"

Mako shook his head, licking his ice cream thoughtfully. The pair was sitting on the top of a park bench near the spot they had fallen asleep looking for Bolin all those months ago. Mako had already shown her the bookstore, which Korra had enjoyed much more than her boyfriend had expected. She had showed him all her past lives and the great things they did. When they looked up from the history lesson, they had realized two hours had passed by. Sweating from the heat of the store, they had immediately gotten ice cream and wandered the city aimlessly, simply enjoying each other's company and talking about their earlier years.

"It was definitely a pythonaconda," Mako said, looking back at the memory with a sort of horrified fondness. "Bolin nearly got turned into a midnight snack, but we managed to get out of there with this tiny baby fire ferret on my shoulders."

The Avatar giggled, her ice cream finished long ago. Her eyes trailed to the bridge above the pond, and Mako took this opportunity to admire his girlfriend. Her hair was pulled back into the usual wolf tail, two others hanging down on either side of her face. The clear blue waters in front of them were murky in comparison to her shocking blue eyes, and her lips were curved in a small smile, no doubt trying to conjure up images of him and Bolin when they were much younger, fighting a snake twice their sizes.

Mako was a very astute observer, noticing the small details in things. But it had taken him so long to get here, for _them _to get here, where they were today. It hadn't been like with Asami; yes, what they had was love. But it was a love shared between siblings, one the firebender had tried to mask with a desperate need to find someone other than the Avatar. It had ended about as well as it could have, under the circumstances.

Mako shook his head, disentangling his thoughts on the past and focusing on the here and now. "So, what about you?"

Korra's head snapped back to look at him, eyes looking right through him as if he weren't there at all. Mako frowned; she was drifting again. What could she see? Why was this so sudden?

She blinked once and peered into his eyes questioningly. "What about me?"

"You know, how did you get Naga?"

"Oh." Her eyebrows furrowed together for a moment before she smiled. "You know, I don't think I've ever really had to tell anyone that story before. By the time Naga had been with us for a week, anyone who would've been interested in the story had already heard it."

Mako tried to imagine that kind of life, where being so well known that anything you did was big news. He could see a little Korra trying to find someone, anyone, to relive the moment with and never quite getting the reaction a little kid needed just because she was the Avatar.

"Well," the firebender scooted a little closer, knocking shoulders playfully, "I haven't heard it yet, so humour me."

Korra chuckled. "Alright, but keep in mind I was only five when I first got her."

"I had been discovered by the White Lotus as the Avatar for a year. They had decided to hold off on beginning my real training until I was eight, but I was a little kid, excited to go out and start kicking some bad guy butt. I wasn't willing to wait.

"That sure sounds like you," Mako laughed. He only laughed harder when Korra punched him in the shoulder.

"Shh, City Boy. You want to hear the story or not?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Then quiet." Korra rolled her eyes at the formal name. "Anyways, I didn't know anything about being the Avatar besides the stories I used to hear about Aang. I didn't know that you had to master the elements according to the Avatar cycle, let alone there was a specific way the Avatars were born. There was just this tug in my gut telling me I needed to work on water.

"I used to watch Dad leave for his hunting trips, and I knew that he would go with waterbenders so they could clear the snow if a storm came up. I also knew that he would never, _ever_ let me go with him. So I snuck onto the sled one morning when Mom and Dad thought I was still asleep. I heard their voices muffled in the wind and then we started to move, me cozied up in my security blanket and parka.

"Hours passed, and I started to realize that if I got out of the cart, Dad was going to be really mad. So I stayed in there, suddenly really scared of what was going to happen when I got home. Don't snicker, Mako, I was five. I could take on a cave spider but not my parents' wrath.

"So, I guess the wind got really bad, and I wasn't holding on to the railings as tight as I probably should have been. Either way, the sled must have hit a pocket of snow and out I came, tumbling into this blizzard. I looked up, and I could see my Dad and his warriors sprinting towards something. I tried to get up and ended up tripping back into the snow that was easily a foot deep.

"Wait," Mako cut in here, "you're telling me they just left you in the middle of the South Pole?" He was shocked, images of a small girl crying out into a storm and having her words snatched from her mouth.

Korra shrugged. "No one knew I was there. Not my dad, not the warriors, certainly not the waterbenders. I was well and truly on my own. Especially since I couldn't move without soaking myself even more.

"I know I must have sat there and cried my eyes out, but I honestly don't remember much between falling out and finding Naga. I just know that as I sat there, freezing my tiny butt off, the wind died off enough for me to hear this tiny whimpering not too far for me.

"I didn't try standing again, because that hadn't worked before, so I started crawling through the snow, pushing it to the sides as these two beady black eyes came into view. It was a polar-bear dog, as lost and alone as I had been. My parents used to tell me to stay away from them, especially puppies, but this one was on its own and obviously upset.

"The moment it saw me, its ears dropped down anxiously and started growling. Normally, that would have kept me away from it, but the thing sounded so unsure of why it was even growling that I kept going. I remember saying really reassuring things to it with what I hoped was a soothing voice. It must have worked, because the puppy let me get close enough to put my body against its fur and stroke it. I decided then and there that I was going to keep it – her, because I had to check – and train it. I mean, the mom was gone, so who else, right?

"Wrong. Dad must have been chasing the mother and she had left her pup to keep her safe. I didn't realize that it would double back, let alone that it was alive. I heard this deep, guttural growl and looked up to see a full-sized polar bear dog baring its teeth at me."

Mako blanched, and Korra nodded at his expression pensively. "That was the first time I had ever been well and truly terrified. I thought it was going to kill me, until its pup – her own flesh and blood, no less – stood between the two of us and whined. It was like she was saying, 'please don't kill my new friend, Mom!' I think the older one was so taken aback it just sort of stood there. Which was when my dad came in and struck the thing through its chest.

"I noticed him and grabbed the puppy's eyes to shield it. Boy, when Dad saw me, he was mad. He started freaking out about how I could have been killed and what was I thinking getting anywhere near polar bear puppy? When I told him I wanted to keep it, the vein on his head nearly exploded, I swear to the Spirits.

"The puppy actually sealed our fate. She licked me on the cheek, curled on top of my legs, and fell asleep. One of the waterbenders with Dad noticed and laughed nervously. Said that Dad didn't really have a choice, because the thing had chosen me to take care of it. It would follow our scents back to the village anyways, so we may as well take her back with us. Next thing Mom knew, we had brought home dinner and a new family member. Naga's been with me ever since."

Mako was at a loss for words. A silence, peaceful like the calm seas, settled on the two as they each went into their own worlds. While Korra reminisced about her animal guide's time with her, Mako recounted the day's events, before turning to the Avatar once more.

"Korra," he said slowly, careful not to press her into a defensive mood, "have you been having nightmares?"

She looked down at her hands, avoiding his gaze. It may as well have been affirmation, by the way her mouth tightened and her knuckles turned white. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Korra sighed.

"I can't –"

Her words cut off as her shoulders tensed, her eyes narrowing. "Hit the dirt!" She screeched, pulling Mako down with her as they slammed into the cold, hard ground. Instinctively, the city boy pulled her close and covered both of their necks as the bench they had been sitting on moments before exploded like fireworks. Splintered wood and debris flew everywhere, pelting the couple hard enough to leave marks.

Korra and Mako looked towards the trees, watching as Equalists dropped from the cover of the leaves. More came from behind the trunks and still others surrounded them from behind. The firebender guessed there were at least a dozen, if not more, and half with a variety of electrical weapons. He could only assume that those wielding nothing were Chi-blockers, and couldn't figure out which were more dangerous.

There was no time to decide, however, as three advanced with their weapons drawn. One with shock sticks slammed them down towards the pair, who only just rolled out of the way. Korra immediately lashed out with her feet, sending two masked men into the air as the earth beneath them jutted upward suddenly. Mako was on his feet immediately, eyeing each one suspiciously.

"You do realize I'm a police officer, right?" He blocked a punch and just barely managed to avoid getting electrified by one of the Equalist gloves. "Guess you don't care."

With the first punch thrown, Mako let loose a flurry of fire from his fists at three of the closest Equalists. They jumped to the sides and ran at him, ineffectively trying to knock him out. He dodged and blocked, jumped and avoided; the fights during the rebellion, as well as pro-bending, had served him well.

The dark haired youth felt someone bump against him, not bothering to turn and check. Their hair tickled his cheek, the blue Water Tribe outfit standing out against the dull gray non-bender costumes.

"Mako," Korra panted, pulling water from the pond and freezing an Equalist's lower body to the ground, "what – the hell – is going on?"

The firebender unleashed a thick red fire from his raised foot, sending a chi-blocker sprawling into the base of a tree and slamming another in the gut. "They must be some of the Leftovers!" The Leftovers was the nickname they had given any Equalists still trying to fight a lost battle. It was as though all the work the new non-bender councilmen were doing to make things more just wasn't cutting it.

Korra bent the water into a whip and wrapped it around the farthest Leftover. She pulled her arm back and he whipped into two of his companions, sending the three toppling over like bowling pins.

It wasn't enough, and both benders were tiring quickly. Their opponents kept advancing, immediately jumping up or dodging nearly everything the two threw. Mako had just thrown three quick spurts of fire in a circle when a chi-blocker came from behind and jabbed him lightly in the side. Three quick punches to varying nerve points and his bending vanished, the fire licking at his palms diminishing almost instantly. His knees gave out beneath him.

"Mako!"

He groaned, feeling gloved hands wrap around his shoulders uncomfortably. He looked up and saw Korra being restrained, desperately trying to kick out with her feet. No earth moved, no water or fire shot through the air. She had already been temporarily disarmed.

One of the Leftovers grabbed Mako's chin and roughly pulled it upward. A second Equalist came to pace in front of him, turning over a large knife in their gloved hands. Korra's eyes widened.

"Don't touch him!" She screeched, struggling fruitlessly against her restrainers.

The Equalist merely chuckled and crouched next to the firebender. Mako tried to look into their eyes, but the goggles and mask prevented him from seeing anything.

"Why are you doing this?" He whispered, not really scared as opposed to befuddled. "People are fighting for you, making things equal the right way. No violence. How does this help you?"

He ignored the boy's questions. Instead, the Leftover addressed Korra, turning their heads slightly. "Tell me, _Avatar; _you can now bend all four elements?" He said her title like he was talking about an unsightly wart on his nose.

Korra narrowed her eyes, nodding suspiciously. He pressed forward.

"And you've unlocked your spiritual side, yes? Made contact with your past lives yet?"

At this she didn't respond, only stood there. The Equalist sighed.

"Come now, Korra," he prodded, "everyone already knows Avatar Aang gave you your bending back. The question is merely a formality."

Still the Avatar did not move, staring at her adversary with a furious intensity.

"I wonder," the Equalist questioned, "what will set you off?" He bent down and brought the knife near Mako's face, pressing it softly against his flesh.

Korra gasped. "Stop – don't touch him –"

The masked figure paid no attention, instead slowly cutting Mako's cheek. The firebender refused to show any signs of pain, but acknowledged the sensation of blood running down the left side of his face. Korra visibly paled and started thrashing around again.

"Whatever it is you want from me, don't take it out on him, please!" Her boyfriend wanted to reassure her so badly that it wasn't that painful, that she needn't worry and no way was she to do anything for these guys, but the knife was still looming close enough that if he even flinched it would break through to his mouth, and _that _would hurt.

The Equalist muttered something barely audible, one word that Mako only just caught. "Change."

It took a moment before Mako realized what he meant, and by then it was too late.

Korra's face turned from a distressed expression into something furious and vengeful. Her eyes started glowing bright white and within seconds all essences of Korra had left. In her place was the lineage of the Avatars in its full glory, standing in his girlfriend's body.

The Leftover with the knife stared in awe at the glowing figure before him. "Incredible…" he murmured, staring fixedly at her. His companions had all focused their attention on her, and Mako rubbed out his tense shoulders. He, too, was enthralled by the Avatar State, his eyes never leaving her now-rising form. The two Equalists who had been restraining her were now unconscious, piles of rubble next to their immobile forms.

The battle was a quick one after that, easily won and taken care of. Korra – and all the other Avatars – bent the water into another whip. This time, however, it wrapped around two Leftovers and sent them flying through the air across the pond, easily a hundred meter toss. The wind picked up and turned violent, a small cyclone sending another one through the mass of trees and hitting a trunk, effectively knocking them out.

The other Leftovers, quickly realizing this was a fight they couldn't win, retreated. Korra hardly noticed; her eyes were fixed on the knife-wielder. Mako imperceptibly took a few steps backward. He had seen Korra in the Avatar State before, and as much as he loved her, this part of her scared him.

The last Equalist stood glued to the spot, knees knocking together ever so slightly. Mako smirked humourlessly – he had asked for her to change and now he was realizing how much he had asked for. The Avatar pointed a single, unwavering finger at him, and a quick blast of fire jetted out, enveloping the foot in a long stream of red flames. The Equalist yelped, trying to put the fire out, but Korra was one step ahead. With a wave of her hand, the man had been thrown into the pond on the other side of the park. Mako and Korra were, once again, alone.

The firebender had seen Korra come out of the Avatar State many times; he was used to her rushing up to him, grinning and boasting about what she had just done. She never seemed to lack energy.

So when she reached the ground and fell to her knees, eyes back to normal, Mako immediately rushed to her. He put his arms around her and pulled her close, searching the blue eyes that stared back at him tiredly. Something was really wrong.

"Korra?" Mako whispered, frightened.

Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she fell limp in his arms, unconscious.

* * *

**Holy crap that took me a while to write (all day today LOL)**

**I literally got so into writing how Korra got Naga that I spent the morning drive into work writing a whole twelve hundred words. My bad. **

**So, this story has got me seriously hooked so I'm excited you all love it as much as I do! I usually answer reviews so let's try that now. If it gets to be too many I'll be stopping though. It probably won't ;) **

**_JayLiyah: _Thanks so much, I spent twenty minutes alone trying to figure out how to do the summary, LOL IM ALSO A SUCKER FOR ANGST AND FLUFF YAY ANGST BUDDIES. I hope I will fulfill all your needs from this story and I'm so glad to know I have someone like you reading. Thanks again buddy, you're awesome! :)  
**

_**Maila08: **_**Hey, aren't you the author who has all the stories that show when you type in _Legend of Korra _into the FF search bar? COOL! I appreciate the review and I'm really glad you think it's well written! As for the character death, I'm not really big on those. I don't like eliminating too many doors in future chapters, if that helps. :P****  
**

_**Black Dragon Master: **_******I'm so glad you like this, and I intend to keep going! :D Thanks!****  
**

_******J (Guest):**_****** Thanks! And for the review too! :D**

_******Guest:**_****** YAY I GOT SOMEONE HOOKED THANKS SO MUCH!**

******Alright, that is all! I am thoroughly exhausted and my wisdom teeth are kicking my butt right now, so good night everyone! **

******OH JUST A NOTE: I'm a Canadian, so things like humour are supposed to have u's in them. Just letting you know! :)**

**~Sistergrimm97**


	3. Chapter 3

In the sick bay of Air Temple Island, not a sound was made.

No, that wasn't true. The blinds were rustling with the gentle ocean breeze and the floorboards creaked as the house settled. Lingering breaths and the shuffling of pristine sheets sounded like an explosion against the utter silence.

Mako heard none of this. His ears were ringing, a dull roar that he barely acknowledged as he sat next to the occupied bed. His laced fingers trapped her hand between them, his lips against them stiffly. He watched her chest rise and fall steadily, her eyes closed and detached from the world.

Korra looked so… vulnerable. Her hair had been removed from their bindings and laid loose, splayed across the pillow like wispy tree branches. Her face was sallow and covered in a light sheen of sweat, but she her form was otherwise peaceful.

Seeing her like this, so different from the hot-headed and loud girl he had fallen in love with, made his heart shatter. She had been dead weight when he picked her up and ran to the nearest police bike. He had quickly sent its owner off to the station to file a report, promising to bring it back later on his shift. With Korra unconscious and in no position to grasp firmly onto his waist, he had tucked her safely in front, keeping her between his legs and arms as he hit the gas and sped to the ferry docks as fast as the Satobike would allow him. By the time he had gotten to the Island, Lin had already called ahead and briefed Tenzin on the situation. He was waiting anxiously for their arrival. Together, they had carried Korra up to the hospital and let the healers do their work.

That had been nearly four hours ago. The firebender had been pacing the halls until they were done, and then he had spent the rest of the time in here, watching over her. Nothing had changed.

Voices drifted through the door and into his reeling mind.

"…Equalist attack..."

"Are they okay alright, were…"

"Korra's _what?"_

"Where's… brother?"

The door slid open and Tenzin's head poked through, casting a quick, worried glance towards the still girl before looking at her boyfriend.

"Mako, can you please come outside for a moment?" Mako didn't even flinch. The master sighed. "Please, Mako, we have things to discuss and I'd rather not wake Korra." He sat for a long moment before relenting, getting up from the seat and walking into the hall, closing the door behind him.

The firebender had but a moment to note that Bolin and Asami were in the hall before he was tackled into a hug. His brother's strong arms captured him a tight hug, and Mako felt the last of his strength vanish. He leaned into Bolin's embrace, burying his face into the earthbender's shoulders. He was suddenly exhausted.

Bolin pulled away, barely concealing his concern. "I was so worried about you!" He cried, his face relieved and upset all at once. His eyes widened considerably when he noticed the fresh cut on Mako's cheek. "Are you okay? They didn't mess you up bad, did they? I'll knock them through to the other side of the world, I swear –"

"Bo, relax!" His older brother chuckled, surprised at the reversal in role. "I'm fine, they really only touched me because…" His voice trailed off, and he shrugged, not wanting to relive the experience.

Asami, sensing his unease, came to stand next to the two, putting a hand on each boy's shoulder. "Let's all be thankful it wasn't much, much worse."

That said, the group is silent, their own thoughts much too loud to even consider hearing anyone else's. Finally, Tenzin cleared his throat, causing the teens to look up.

"Mako," he said, addressing the young man, "I know you are probably reluctant to speak, but… If you could tell us as much as you remember from the ambush, it would be a big help. Any information could be extremely vital."

The firebender hesitated, but the reassuring looks his friends gave him drove him to recount the whole story – the Equalists, the demand, the Avatar State and, finally, Korra passing out. As he finished recounting the events of earlier in the day, the airbender rubbed his chin thoughtfully, seemingly in deep thought.

Bolin and Asami's eyes were wide. "Whoa, man!" The younger boy said, his mouth slightly ajar. "They attacked you? In, like, a public area? Where there are cops?" He whistled, impressed. "Gutsy…"

"Do you have any idea why they wanted her to access the Avatar State?" Asami asked, her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

Mako shook his head. "No. They had nothing to gain from it; if anything, they should be terrified of the idea of Korra even anywhere near to unlocking that kind of power."

"You said Korra passed out _after _she went into the Avatar State, correct?" Tenzin asked, looking as though he were piecing a puzzle together slowly.

"Mako…"

"Just a second, Bo." Mako replied. The earthbender raised his eyebrows, confused. His older brother turned to the master. "Yeah, she did. It was like, with all her past lives leaving her, she couldn't hold up her body on her own."

"Interesting." Tenzin's eyes sparkled, an idea forming in the pupils.

"Mako." Bolin's ears perked up, and he went to the door, sliding it open slightly. His eyes widened.

He turned back to the group. "Uh, guys?"

The two other teenagers kept their attention to the airbender, ignoring the youngest member of Team Avatar.

"What is it, Tenzin?" Asami questioned. "Do you know what's going on?"

He shook his head slowly. "I have no way of knowing for sure until Korra's awake."

"Makoo…"

The boy let out a frustrated breath. "Not now Bolin!" He said, exasperated.

No answer.

"Bolin?"

The trio turned to look at the sick bay door; it was ajar, enough to see two silhouettes through the darkness in the room. One was standing next to the bed, the other rising out from under the sheets.

Korra was awake.

"What hit me?" Korra groaned, head in her hands. Mako's heart felt as though it had finally restarted after a long pause. She was awake; in pain and groggy, but _okay. _He'd never felt so relieved.

Bolin eased a pillow into the space between her and the other pillow. The group crowded around the bed, each making themselves comfortable on different positions. All of them had a sneaking suspicion that they'd be here a while.

"I'm thirsty," the Avatar croaked out and, without waiting for a reply, bent the water out of a nearby tap. Mako was about to protest, but stopped. Korra's hands were wobbling, the water mimicking their same shakiness, vibrating like solid atoms. Suddenly, the water hit the ground with a splash, and Korra leaned back into her pillows, her energy spent.

Mako and Bolin shared a look. _This isn't good at all, _the firebender thought to himself as he sat down next to his girlfriend on the bed, his hand resting on her knee soothingly.

Tenzin grabbed the water for Korra and set it on the bedside table. She grabbed for it and, after a moment's hesitation, took a small sip.

"Korra…" Asami looked at her friend in concern, "what happened to you?"

The younger girl swallowed the water and stared out the open window. "We were fighting the Equalists when one of them grabbed Mako and disabled him. I tried to get to him, to save him, but two Chi-blockers took me out from behind and restrained me.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" Bolin demanded, his voice an octave deeper than normal. Korra was family, plain and simple; nobody messed with Bolin's family.

The girl from the Southern Water Tribe shook her head. "No. It was like they had all the power to kill us right then and there, and they just… didn't. Like they were waiting for something."

Mako recalled something from earlier in the day, during the fight. "They wanted you to access the Avatar State." He said, realizing what they had meant. "I heard the one with the knife mutter 'change'."

"But why?"

Again, Korra shook her head miserably. "This is reminding me of my dreams. I don't… I can't…" And she buried her face in her hands.

Tenzin looked up sharply. "Dreams? What dreams?"

The Avatar lifted her head up, but not her eyes. They remained glued to her open palms. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

"They're all the same." She said quietly, her voice only just audible to the other occupants of the room. "Always the same. Same… But different, somehow. One night, it'll be here, in the City, the next, the South Pole. Some dreams we're in the middle of a fight and others I'm alone with Aang. But there are only ever two options.

"In my dreams, someone I love is dying. It could be Tenzin or Asami, or Bolin or –" her voice caught and squeaked, "Mako. But someone always has to die. And I'm given this choice; save them and die, or live and protect the whole world, and live with that guilt?

"I never choose something concrete. I either save you guys and die, or… I watch as you all get killed. I always wake up screaming."

Korra's voice had elevated throughout her revelation, and now she was nearly in hysterics, her voice loud. "You guys don't know what that's like, to have to watch you all die. Over and over, every night I'm fighting a losing battle with this nightmare and I can't stop it!" Her voice is nothing above a whisper now, her lips quivering. "So I die. But it's worse when I choose to live."

They were all silent, processing what she had just said. Mako took his girlfriend's hands in his carefully, but she still refused to meet his gaze.

"Korra, these dreams… They're just dreams and –"

"I don't actually agree with that, Mako."

Even Korra looked up at her teacher, crestfallen and curious. "What do you mean, Tenzin?"

"You go into the Avatar State to save us, I presume?"

His pupil blinked, clearly taken aback. "Yes, but how –"

The airbender took a deep breath, his cheeks a shade paler than earlier.

"I think," he said slowly, "that you going into the Avatar State so much has caused a rift between you and the Spirit world."

"What do you mean?" Mako asked, alarmed. Korra had gone frigid under his hands.

"Avatar Aang had difficulties opening the Avatar State. He could only ever do it in times of great need, as I am sure you are all aware. That being said, every time he came back to his body, he was exhausted. I thought for sure when Korra started accessing her spiritual side it would result in the same conclusion, but she was completely fine.

"I was confused at first, but didn't pay much notice to it. But Korra, you've been using the Avatar State countless times since Amon was defeated, trying to restore bending. No other Avatar had ever come across someone like Amon, so they'd never had to access the Avatar State so many times to give someone their bending back.

"What are you saying, Tenzin?"

The master took a deep breath. "I think the bond between the Avatar and the spiritual world has slowly been severing. Avatars – as strong as they were during their lives – cannot keep coming through from one side to the other. They can't keep crossing the bridge. So when used in excess, the bond starts to fray. And I think it's been slowly unraveling with every passing Avatar State you've been in.

"Which means that it is affecting Korra as well. As the host for their souls during the State, you are the most directly affected. As much as you are human, and as much as you are Korra, a girl from the South Pole, you are also the Avatar. That will never change. Therefore, the bond between you and the other Avatars is like a lifeline. If that bridge were to start to burn…"

He hesitated for a moment before crouching down to meet the Avatar's fear-filled eyes.

"Korra, I think that if you go into the Avatar State one more time, it will kill you."

* * *

**Well, crap. That isn't good. **

**Hello everyone, how are you all today? To those who have stuck around since the beginning, it's nice to see you again! For newbies, well, I hope you find what you're looking for here!**

**So... Uh, yeah, that will be super fun to write into this story! Warning, I've got it all planned in my head but no actual plan to execute it. **

**REVIEWS!**

_**maila08: **_**Yep, that would be! Haha, YAY I GOT YOU HOOKED (KIND OF?) And thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it :)**

_**Black Dragons Master: **_**O****h cool you caught that! :D Yeah, I was like, okay how to start this hmmmm OH GOOD IDEA TIME YAY! And thank you soooo much, it's nice to see you have another review!**

_**J (Guest): **_**YAY MORE LOVE FOR THE ANGSTY FLUFF YOU ARE AWESOME MY FRIEND AND THANK YOUUUU C:****  
**

**_ecrooked24: _ ****Thank you, I really appreciate that! I'm also really happy that you have found what you're looking for from this story; I write what I think I would enjoy and it's nice to see other people like it too, so thanks so much! :D**

_******L (Guest): **_******I wouldn't go so far as to say perfection, but that put such a smile on my face I won't argue! I'm glad you think so; I'm trying to stay with the way each character is portrayed, and I'm enjoying the challenge of writing total opposites, especially in dialogue like Bolin's more teenager talk as opposed to Tenzin's super wise wording. And thanks again for the review! :')**

******Okay, just so you guys know: **

******I am _TERRIBLE_ at dialogue-writing; especially when I'm exhausted like right now, the end of this chapter probably sucked ass. I am so sorry for that, and I'm really hoping I improve! Let me know, and thanks for reading!**

******~Sistergrimm97**


	4. Chapter 4

Korra's feet dangled off the rock face on Air Temple Island, her eyes glazed over as she looked out onto the ocean's canvas. The water sparkled in the sun's descent like shimmering satin, fiery reds and tranquil pinks mixing with deep, bottomless blue. Just a ferry's ride away, Republic City was lit up in like the South Pole during the Spirit Festival. Everything was as it usually was, and yet…

Nothing was the same.

"…_if you go into the Avatar State one more time, it will kill you."_

Korra blanched, her face contorting into one of pure agony. She willed herself to calm down, took deep, gulping breaths to relax. She was the Avatar – she could handle whatever happened. But no matter how much she wanted to believe that things were going to be okay, she knew deep down that something pivotal had changed. She had worked so hard her whole life to access this great, unique power, and now she had ruined it. Not just for herself, but for her friends, family… everyone. The Avatar could no longer go into the Avatar State. And it killed her.

"So this is where you went."

Korra's heart began to thump rapidly in her chest, but she didn't turn around. There was no need; she knew that voice like she knew water, fire, and earth. She had been so lost in her own shock and remorse that the vibrations he made with his feet didn't even register in her mind.

The firebender sat down next to her, and they both stared in silence across the bay, neither speaking, neither knowing how.

Mako was the one to break the silence. "Korra… Tenzin thinks that you should go to the South Pole and see Katara. You know, see if she can help you."

The Avatar laughed mirthlessly. "Yeah, because a fat lot of good any healer did to me the last time something this bad happened."

"Look, I know that this is hard for you, but it couldn't hurt to –"

"Excuse me?" At this, she looked at him, incredulity written at him. "This is _hard? _Mako, I'm the Avatar! My whole life has been about bringing balance and peace to the world. People depend on me to take care of them! If I can't do that then what kind of Avatar am I?"

"You'll do it the same way you did before," Hey boyfriend's eyes hardened, stubbornness settling in, "with help. You know we'd never let you do this on your own."

Korra snorted. "I could barely take Amon down, even with help! What happens when something worse comes along and I need to access the Avatar State? What then, Mako?"

"We'll figure something else out, Korra!" He exploded, his emotions tumbling out of his mouth like water from a fountain. "Anything else but that!"

"You and I both know that Aang could only defeat Firelord Ozai with the Avatar State. We all know that something's going to come that normal bending just isn't going to cut it! And when that day comes, I'm going to have to –"

"No!" The firebender shouted, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders. "I can't lose you!"

The girl from the Southern Water Tribe stared at her boyfriend, her words silenced. He was breathing hard, his head down and his fingers wrapped tightly against her skin. It was hard seeing Mr. Cool Calm and Collected break apart so easily, and even harder when she realized it was because of her.

Mako let out a breath, his face still covered by his black hair. "I've already lost so many people I love… I don't think I could handle being without you, Korra…"

Korra put her hand gently under his chin and forced him to look at her, his eyes so filled with anguish and tears that she her own threatened to spill over. They looked into each other's eyes, and the younger girl tried for a small smile as she smoothed his hair back lovingly.

"Mako, sweetie," she murmured soothingly, "You'll never be without me, you know that."

The firebender jerked his head away and stared down the rock face, a pout on his lips. "No, Korra. I don't mean the Avatar, the little earthbending kid who will come around next. I mean you. Not the great, all-powerful Avatar, but you, strong-willed, stubborn as hell Korra. I don't think I could handle to lose _you."_

He pulled her to him then, their bodies fitting like a perfectly made sculpture as he crushed their lips together. Korra gasped into his lips, closing her eyes and letting him close the gap between their forms. Her hands were in his hair, pushing his head closer, always closer. His lips felt like fire against hers – searing, alive, always moving, desperate. Their lips daIt tasted like goodbye but sounded like forever.

When they pulled away, gasping for breath, their heads leaning against each other, Mako whispered, "Promise you'll never leave me." It wasn't a question, more like a pleading demand.

"I promise." Korra murmured. They both knew that she was lying, but neither could bring themselves to face the very real possibility that there would come a time when the Avatar would give her body over to her past lives, and she would never come back. The city boy pressed his lips softly to her temple, and she relished in the damp feel of his kiss.

"We're coming with you, you know." Mako said, his lips moving against her forehead. "Me, Bolin, Asami… We're not letting you go to the South Pole on your own."

She burrowed into his chest, her arms sliding around his torso as she nestled her head against his toned chest. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The couple drifted off into silence, Mako holding her, rocking her gently like the tides, back and forth, back and forth. Korra's body relaxed into his steady arms, her thoughts divided between she felt now, and the fear she felt for the future.

"Hey, Mako?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

The firebender pressed another kiss to his girlfriend's head. "I love you too, Korra."

The plan to go to the South Pole had been an on-the-spot decision, and yet everything seemed to fall neatly into place for Team Avatar. Asami had left Future Industries under her next in command's care and told him that if she found out about anything suspicious or even slightly corruptive while she was gone, she would personally kick him into the Spirit World, and _then _give him to Korra. The man had gone so white in the face the two girls thought the blood had drained out the back of his ears.

Bolin had found a temporary replacement for the new – but not so improved – Fire Ferrets, and conceded to the fact his pro-bending dreams would have to wait for another year. Mako had gotten the go ahead to take a leave of absence from the police force, and Tenzin… Well, the city would have to do without him for a little while.

"You don't have to come, you know." Korra said, feeling more than a little guilty that everyone was just dropping their jobs and past-times just to help her on this journey.

Asami smiled at the younger girl. "Don't be silly. Of course we're coming with you!" they may have had a bit of a rocky time after her and Mako started dating, and then again when he had dumped her for Korra, but the heiress had learned that they had never meant any harm towards her, and really, this was her family now.

"Yeah," Bolin shrugged, an excited smile on his face. "Our season was basically over anyways. Besides, how could I pass up an opportunity to eat authentic water tribe noodles? They were _so _tasty last time!" He rubbed his belly appreciatively, and the four of them laughed.

As their giggles died down and faded away, Tenzin, along with half a dozen White Lotus guards, walked into view. He nodded at each member's single backpack and looked at the group of teenagers, locking eyes with each once.

"Now, with Korra's current… restrictions," the airbender said, careful not to speak of the problem aloud, "we've been left slightly less defended than normal, so I've arranged for some of the White Lotus guards to accompany us on our trip."

Korra groaned inwardly; it wasn't that she had anything against the White Lotus, it was that she had been unequivocally happy that they weren't messing around in her business anymore. And now they were back, like a wart that refused to go away.

Tenzin continued. "Unfortunately, sky bison are no longer a suitable means of transportations. That means two things: one is that we'll be taking a shipping boat that runs a direct rout straight to the Southern Water Tribe. It's a bit pricey, but I'm willing to pay for a little extra security, and we'll take half the time."

While the others shared grins and high-fived, Korra narrowed her eyes at her teacher. "What's the second thing?"

He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling around the edges. He turned and brought his fingers to his lips, blowing out three sharp whistles and using the air to push the soundwaves twice the distance. Immediately, heavy pounding filled the air. The young girl felt her face light up as a giant ball of white fur came into view, a patch of fuzzy red at the top of its head.

"Naga!" She laughed, grabbing hold of the polar-bear dog's muzzle and rubbing it affectionately. She turned to Tenzin. "You're serious? She can come?"

"It was how you got the two of you here originally, right?" Korra grinned, and felt a weight on her shoulders. Reflexively, she felt back for the small fuzzy head and began to scratch behind its ears.

"Hi, Pabu," she giggled, turning to Bolin and Mako. "I believe this is yours?"

The brothers laughed as it jumped from Korra's shoulders to Mako's, and from there to Bolin, where he curled his striped tail around the earthbender's neck and fell asleep.

Korra turned in time to see one of the White Lotus step forward, his back straight, hands firmly placed at his side.

"Permission to speak, sir?" The guard directed this at Tenzin, who nodded.

"Granted."

The officer took a deep breath. "Sir, we should be off unless we wish to miss our mode of transportation. Almost as if to emphasize this, the Temple's clocks chimed nine times. The crisp morning air was suddenly quite noticeable

Tenzin looked at the son and widened his eyes. "By Agni, he's right! We better go if we want to make good use of these tickets."

So off they went, none of them realizing the journey they had just agreed to take.

* * *

**You guys don't even understand how hard this chapter was to start. I literally started it at four o clock today. But I wanna write as much as humanly possible before schools starts on wednesday so after that... except two to three chapters a week, tops. **

**BTW, thank you all so much for your reviews! I've gotten way more than I had ever even expected and this just makes it all worthwhile! It's so nice to see people who think the same way I do LOL**

**Reviews!**

_**Guest (Chapters 1 and 2): **_**Thanks so much, I'm really glad you think my writing is mature! I try to be good about younger ages being able to read it but I just hate tagging it K or K+ because it limits me so much, you know? And I've always wondered where Nago came from, so backstory had to be involved! Thanks again!:)**

_**ecrooked24: **_**You have honestly no idea how much I appreciate the advice with the dialogue; it's one of my weakest points when I write and I'm really grateful that you weren't afraid to tell me how to fix it. That really makes me happy, and thanks for the praise at the end too! ;D **

_**Guest (Chapter 3): **_**YES SOMEONE PICKED UP ON THE TITLE REFERENCE HIGH FIVE! When Korra say _"save them and die, or live and protect the whole world..." _she means she can either save her loved ones and die, or let her loved ones die and continue to protect the world, with the knowledge that she let the people closest to her down. I know it's a very fine point and I guess the way you say works too, but that's what I meant when I wrote it, so sorry for the confusion! Awww, I'm glad you think this story is flawless (I wish) THANKS SWEETIE!  
**

_**Black Dragon Master: **_**I don't think I will ever forget your username LOL See, you're a reader after my heart because it's like thank you for writing me reviews and I can feel how into the story you are and that just make my day you know? So, thank YOU. In response to your questions, 1) I actually don't know, but I'm going to go for _at least_ ten and see where the wind takes me; and your other question should have been answered in this chapter ;) **

**_dumplingsofbolin (Guest): _Your guest name, dude... Freaking hilarious! I rendered someone speechless? Coooolllll. Thanks bud! I have a question though; when you imagine your beard does it look like Uncle Iroh's or Tenzin's? LOL  
**

_**maila08: **_**Thanks! I just figured with that kind of physical strain of constantly restoring bending (not to mention beating the airbender kids in air scooter race), the bridge would sort of fall into disrepair from over use, don't you think? Heehee, I'd use it all the time too; GIVE ME MY SKITTLES BACK OR ELSE. **

_**J (Guest): **_**Thanks! :D Do you love it _because _things are getting serious? ;D**

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**DO YOU THINK I SHOULD ALSO PUT THIS STORY ON DEVIANTART**

**YOU KNOW**

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**~sistergrimm97**


	5. Chapter 5

_The sky is raining forms of black. _

_There is no other way to describe the horror of her surroundings; just that they aren't prepared for this, aren't ready for the chaos that had ensued only moments before. The skyscrapers of Republic City are burning, crashing to the ground like card towers. People's faces are contorted with terror, their mouths open in a silent scream as they blur past her in their panic. The normally graceful statue of Avatar Aang has long since crumbled in the midst of battle. _

_There is nothing graceful about it now. _

_The dark figures are blurred, their forms large and intimidating as they pounce on innocent citizens. Korra ducks under one and unleashes a torrent of fire at the closest black smudge. It keeps its death grip on a young man no older than twenty-five, seemingly immune to the attack. It's squeezing the life out of him, his eyes bulging out of his sockets as his face turns a sickly shade of purple. _

_She rushes at it, everything mute around her. The animal – there's no other way to describe these other worldly creatures – doesn't notice until she's on top of him, and by then Korra has bent the earth underneath it upwards. The ground readily obeys, a stalagmite as sharp as a spear piercing through the dark form. Immediately, the thing begins to convulse, an erratic dance of nerves that ends when it disintegrates. _

_Korra watches in mute fascination for a moment before turning back to the victim. She reaches out a hand to help the man up, and stops. He isn't moving, his eyes staring upward into the torrential skies. _

_He's dead. _

_The girl jumps back, feeling as though she's been slapped. She is fixed on the lifeless body, the way his face seems to be accusing her; _you could have saved me.

"_Korra!" _

_It's the first sound to reach her ears, and she tears her gaze away. The voice is frantic, a high-pitched wail that fills her heart with dread. _

"_Mako?" She screams. "_Mako!"

_She doesn't see him, but his voice is everywhere. It's behind her where the city is alive with flames; it's next to her with the dead man's body. It's everywhere she looks, and yet – _

_No. _

_Her heart stops. _

"_Bolin?" He's face down in the ground, a mud pool beginning to form under him. Where was the water coming from? It was completely dry out, so how was there mud?_

_She rushes to him, skidding to her knees as she flips him onto his back. He, too, is still. It's such a contrast to his normally bubbly and out-going self that for a moment Korra thinks this is someone else. _

_But no, there is the tuff of hair that continually sticks out despite numerous attempts to flatten it with hairspray. The outfit of various shades of green is adjourned on his body like always, and next to his shoulders… Oh, spirits, next to his shoulder is a small ball of dark red fur that seems to curl in on itself. _

_She grabs her best friend and pulls him close, shaking him hard. "Bolin!" She screams into his face, her voice choking on tears. "Bolin, this isn't funny! Wake up! Spirits, please, _wake up_!" _

"_Korra!" _

_Her head snaps up, the voice's brother still lying limp in her arms, and this time she sees him. Her eyes are blurry with tears, but she would know that body anywhere. _

_Mako is being held to the ground by the biggest figure she has yet to see, and unlike the others she can make out a single detail; a pair of slitted yellow eyes with encircling marks that flash with humour when they look at her. _

"_Your time for choosing is over, Avatar." It hisses at her, no mouth visibly present on its body but its merciless tone still sending a flesh of unyielding terror through her spine. "I shall see you soon." _

_With that, it turns and plunges its arm through Mako's chest. She hears screaming, a terrible, heart-breaking wail…_

"Korra!"

A pair of cool arms was wrapped around her figure, tightly pulling her against another body. The screaming from her dream continued, and only after a moment had Korra realized they were coming from her own mouth. She forced herself to choke off the noise and covered her mouth with her hands to silence the sobs that were leaving her lips.

Every noise she made was amplified in the cavernous hull of the boat where the group slept. Not a sound was made among the boxes and crates, save her weeping and the sounds emanating from Bolin's sleeping form. _Sleeping, _she thought to herself. _Not dead, sleeping. Alive. _The cots were spaced out among the empty space, and Korra barely acknowledged Mako's empty sleeping bag.

She closed her eyes and wept, shaking as he held her, rocking them gently like he had on the rock face. Mako murmured reassurances to her, his lips grazing her earlobe as he told her it was all right, that he was there.

He was _here. _He wasn't bleeding to death back at Republic City; he was on the freighter ship with her. She felt her body relaxing, and her sobs taper off into choking hiccups.

Mako pulled her even closer. "You were screaming," he whispered softly in her ear, and she could hear the pain in his voice. He was hurting for her. "First my name, then Bolin's, and then…" His voice trailed off for a moment. "You started to wail. I've never heard anything like that before, Korra. It sounded like you were suffocating."

Korra took a deep, shuddering breath, her voice wobbly and her throat tight. "I felt like I was."

"Does this happen every time?" He whispered worriedly.

Korra shook her head, her mind replaying what had happened in her dream. "No. This time was different. It sounded… final, like I wouldn't be having another one."

She felt him nestle his head into the crook of her neck. "That's great!" The Avatar pulled away from her boyfriend, turning so that she was still in his lap but facing him.

"Mako, no. It isn't. They didn't give me a choice about saving you or not. Bolin and Pabu were already dead, and you… I had to watch them…" She trailed off, her voice cracking. She pulled herself together. "I think it means my time is up. Like I have to decide something big, _now."_

As though sensing her panic building, Mako pulled her close and kissed her tenderly. This one was different from yesterday's, full of slow movements and reassurance. The firebender pulled away and kissed her nose tenderly, fixing her with a serious gaze.

"Korra, I swear to you –"

His words were cut off when the boat lurched suddenly, sending the two sprawling across the floor. Boxes crashed to the floor and woke the rest of Team Avatar, the cots flying around in disarray.

"What the –" Bolin shouted, looking around wildly. "What _was _that?"

Korra and Mako exchanged looks and scrambled up the stairs to the deck.

Mako skidded to a halt just before the railings, his eyes flitting in every direction. Rain was hitting the top level of the ships mercilessly, great fat drops of water slicing through the night sky. The ship's red emergency lights reflected ominously in the puddles already formed as they blinked on and off. A high, continuous wailing of a siren dipped and pitched in octaves, a noise that set the firebender's teeth on edge. Crewmen rushed about on the deck in a tizzy, ropes being hauled in as their commanders screamed instructions.

Korra was next to him in an instant, and the rest of the group soon followed. Four of the White Lotus guards ran across the bridge to pull down the masts, leaving only two remaining with Team Avatar and Tenzin.

"Do you think it was the storm?" Bolin screamed over the rising winds and siren.

Asami shook her head slowly. "No way, the storm is nowhere near that bad yet. Something must have –"

They were all thrown across the deck as the boat rocked dangerously close to its side. Mako's head slammed against a metal banister, stars exploding across his vision painfully. He closed them for a long moment, and when he opened them, the celestial objects had disappeared, though his head still pulsed vengefully.

"Definitely not the storm," he heard Bolin put in.

Mako pushed himself up unsteadily, grasping the railing as he leaned treacherously over the edge. The water was churning abnormally, a thick black substance just barely visible over the frothing wake. The teenager narrowed his eyes, sure that, despite living in the city his whole life, ocean water didn't do that naturally.

He turned to Korra, who was picking herself up off the floor, and said, "There's something in the water."

Korra snorted. "No kidding, Cool Guy."

"No, I mean –" Mako shook his head, baffled. "There's this black patch of stuff in the water that looks like oil, but… It's only in one spot."

At this, his girlfriend visibly stiffened, the colour in her face draining in one fluid motion. She rushed to him then and glanced downward. She froze for half a second, her knuckles white against the railing, before she turned and screamed at the top of her lungs, "Everyone hit the deck!"

As Korra grabbed him and threw the two of themselves away from the boat's edge, Mako thought to himself that the Avatar had some weird power to detect when things were about to blow up. He watched as two things happened almost simultaneously; everyone in their party dropped to the deck almost immediately, trusting the young girl without question, as the ocean exploded upwards into the sky.

Water slammed onto the ship's main deck, drenching the already-soaked people aboard. The crewmen – who hadn't listened to the Avatar's command moments earlier – either readily complied now or went overboard, their screams snatched by the wind. Mako winced, knowing they wouldn't be the first to succumb to an unfortunate fate.

Saltwater wasn't the only thing that erupted from the depths. Multiple black balls soared into the sky and landed hard onto the ground. They were easily fifteen feet tall, their skin a poisonous purple with long serpent-like tails and sharp talon-like fingers that could easily cut through human flesh. They stood on two hind legs with knees like a human, but they lacked anything that looked like a mouth or nose.

The most unnerving things about these creatures were their eyes. They were two slits of glowing yellow, but they were also outlined with the same colour, four thick lines cut into their skin. It made Mako wonder if the center was their eye, or the whole yellow grouping.

He turned to Korra, whose face was contorted into a mask of panic, and suddenly understood, his stomach flopping sickeningly.

"This is your dream, isn't it."

She nodded mutely before they locked eyes. He could see the various emotions running through her face – horror, uncertainty, desperation.

Mako clambered to his feet and held his hand out to her. His girlfriend eyed it hesitantly before her eyes hardened, resolve overpowering everything else as she grasped it firmly, letting him haul her to her feet.

They held on for a second longer, giving each other slight squeezes of luck. It knocked them both back to six months ago when they were splitting up to save Bolin at the rally, but this… this felt more like a plea for the other to stay safe.

And then Korra was gone, and Mako turned to see the creatures already advancing on the remainder of the passengers. There seemed to be only six in all, but it seemed like much more with the destruction they had already caused. The White Lotus guards were fending off two of the dark animals between the six of them. Tenzin threw a gust of wind at a third, the two locked in battle on the next level of the deck. Rainwater mixed with the attack and slammed the creature back into the railings.

As the older man jumped top a sphere of air, Mako frantically searched for his brother. He couldn't see Bolin anywhere but realized where he was when he noticed the big slab of earth jutting out of the boat, wood splintered where it cracked through the flooring. One of the tall creatures was punching it repeatedly, denting it further and with more cracks blemishing the surface. Another one was screeching, its voice sounding ancient like the dinosaurs. Mako was reminded of the radio whenever it encountered static and realized how much he'd rather hear that than this spirit-awful noise.

The firebender wasted no more time in thinking, instead letting his feet carry him over to the crumbling rock face. At the last minute, fire shot out of his fists as he leapt into the air, vaulting over both animals and the wall, scorching their skins in the process. He landed on the other side, his form nearly perfect as he turned to face his brother.

Bolin's face was covered in a sheen of sweat, his shoulder pressed against this side of the rock face as he struggled to keep the wall intact. He started when Mako came into view, and the structure fell half an inch. The earthbender's eyes widened and he redoubled his efforts, his face scrunched up in concentration.

"Help… Asami," the younger boy managed to gasp out, before motioning behind him. His older brother turned to see the girl's outfit just barely visible as she scoured through open trunks and overturned cases.

Mako ran to her, immediately beginning to rummage through one especially big chest that had cracked neatly in half during the first impact. "What are we looking for?" He yelled, rainwater blurring his vision.

"Anything I can use as a weapon!" She shouted back. They both searched frantically for a moment before Asami suddenly grinned triumphantly, an "Aha!" escaping her lips.

Mako could only stare as she pulled a thick, sharp blade out of its sheath. The metal was a good three feet long and could slice through a tree with no problem, the hilt a deep ebony. The weapon was obviously a katana, but why they had one on board a trades ship was beyond him.

She brandished it just as the wall shattered, pieces flying everywhere as the two creatures came into view. Bolin did a double hand back-spring, coming up on his knees, his arms firmly in an earthbending position. Asami held the blade at arms length and pointed it at the enemies hatefully. Mako's feet automatically separated to a shoulder-length, one fist protecting his head while the other guarded his gut.

The face-off lasted a long moment, both sides sizing each other up and planning attacks. Then, as though they had been given the go ahead, they both sprang into action.

Both creatures, sensing that Asami was a non-bender, immediately went after her first. The heiress grinned in anticipation, and as the first beast reared its hand back and swiped at her chest, she brought the katana up and deflected the attack, parrying its tail as it swept down to knock her on the head.

Bolin put his hand on the ground and twisted his wrist; the ground bent to his will and began to thrash underneath their opponents, knocking one to the ground. The other agilely jumped into the air, effectively avoiding the attack and landed behind the three teenagers. It made to attack the earthbender while his back was turned, but Mako struck out with his left foot, a stream of fire scorching from the sole and into a vortex at the beast. It slammed into the cabin wall, dust flying everywhere as pieces of debris fell on its form. The creature lay still, twitching slightly.

An enraged scream forced Mako to turn back to his allies, just in time to see Asami duck under the remaining beast's outstretched arm. She brought the blade upward and, in one fluid motion, lobbed its hand off with relative ease. The thing retracted its arm instantly, a pained wail escaping its non-existent lips as it clutched the severed limb. A sickly green liquid oozed from the gaping wound, hissing against the soaked deck as the drops made contact with the floorboards.

Bolin encased its feet in a thick binding of rock, motioning for his brother to finish it off. Mako let loose two streams of fire at the casings, watching in satisfaction as they turned a bright, scorching red. The rock crackled and reinforced the bindings, solidifying the beast in its trap.

"Guys!" Asami screamed, capturing the brothers' attention. She pointed to the upper deck; Tenzin had been knocked across the deck, blood blossoming on his shoulder. The beast he had been fighting had his arms tight around the man's torso, and the airbending master looked about ready to pass out.

It wasn't just him, either; there were only half the amount of people on board the ship as there had been originally, and only two White Lotus guards left, and they too had been captured. Their friends were lying on the ground, blood mixing with the rain water.

_Oh, Spirits, _Mako thought to himself, dread settling in. _They're… they're dead. _The firebender had seen a lot of death on the streets – frozen to death, sickness, in many cases starvation. But never in his life had he seen someone murdered in cold blood.

His heart suddenly stopped beating. _Where's Korra? _He looked around frantically, panic emanating from every pore. His throat loosened when he finally noticed her slam the last beast overboard. She turned and made eye contact with him, her eyes grim and determined. Then, all at once, they widened in fear. She screamed something at him, pointing behind him.

He turned just in time to feel long fingers clamp around the back of his neck, forcing him to his. His arms were pulled into his back, where they were powerless to move, much less bend. He saw Asami in its other arm, her struggles against the vice-like grip pointless.

Mako looked at the opening in the wall where he had knocked the thing through. It was empty, littered only with the chunks of rock that had fallen with the creature. The one him and Bolin had imprisoned had grabbed Bolin off guard, and he watched as it broke through the rock prison effortlessly. Where Asami had cut off its arm, a new one had regrown, an exact replica of the last one.

Two of the creatures held them, the third clutching a now unconscious Tenzin. The one that had taken out most of the White Lotus guards was now standing over the final man's body, his lips gasping for breath as the beast pushed all his weight onto him, its foot trapping him to the ground.

The fifth creature was, luckily for them, dead. Its body had been mangled by the White Lotus, sharp pieces of earth sticking out of its body, water whip marks blossoming on its skin. The yellow glow from its eyes had faded, leaving little doubt in Mako's mind as to its condition.

Korra started towards them, her face full of rage and finality, and as she neared them, something dawned on her boyfriend. _Where's the sixth one?_

Just as the thought flitted across his mind, a beast came flying off the side, fire in its hands. The flames erupted toward the Avatar, who only barely realized and manipulated the rainwater to form a shield around her. With a sickening crash, the creature landed on the deck – right between Mako and his girlfriend.

He could see Korra's face contort angrily, and heard her growl. "Get out of my way."

The animal chuckled, startling Mako and his friends. When it spoke, its voice was a deep, ancient tone. "Be my guest, _Avatar," _it said, stepping backwards. "But, I would be careful. You have a choice to make, after all." Korra's face paled, her eyes looking at the beast slowly. The thing took this as an unwilling permission to continue.

"There's six of us, Bridgekeeper, and only one of you. Everyone you love, everyone you care about, can die, right here, right now. As you can see," at this he motioned to the dead bodies littering the ground, "we're not partial to who we kill, as long as it gets the job done. You and I both know how this is going to end, so you might as well make the decision now."

Mako could see her lips quivering, the way her eyes pleaded for this all to be a bad dream. But it wasn't; she had a choice to make, and he wished desperately that he could stop her. Because as she made eye contact with him, begging for his forgiveness, he knew which one she would choose. Should have known all along that there had never been any other option, not in her mind.

"Korra, no!" He screamed as she took off running. "Don't do it! Please, Korra –!" But she had already vaulted over the edge, into the water.

Instantly the creatures released their hold, rushing to the edge and jumping in after her. Only the sixth creature stayed, biding its time. Mako scrambled to the railings, too occupied with thoughts of his girlfriend to even stop to check on his brother and friend.

The water was rough, but otherwise still. There was no signs of commotion, no threat of underwater fights. Mako's panic intensified, squinting into the dark waters, when the water began to glow a bright white.

Much like when the creatures first emerged, water shot everywhere. This time, however, Korra sat atop a spinning vortex, her face emotionless, her eyes a blinding white. The winds intensified and rocked the boat dangerously. Creatures spun around in the vortex, trapped in the rushing waters as the Avatar froze them in ice three feet thick.

What happened next, Mako will never forget, nor forgive himself for. He should have taken the sixth one down, and he didn't. So when it flew at Korra and stuck its hand through her heart, he screamed.

His girlfriend's face contorted into a wave of pain, her mouth opening but no sound coming from it. Her arms splayed backward, and the water fell back into the ocean.

Something opened on the water's surface, a green slit that shimmered, a contrast from the water. One by one, the five other creatures fell through it, disappearing almost instantaneously. Finally, like a muted video, Korra and the final beast, with its hand still in her chest, fell downwards.

"_Korra!" _

Mako watched as the gap swallowed the girl he loved up, and felt his heart break when it closed behind her.

* * *

**Haha whoops I accidentally doubled the word count in this chapter. Myyyy badddd. **

**Okay no but seriously before I lose any readers from the cliffhanger on this chapter, please just read the next chapter before you flip shit at me. I promise you I'm not a jerk! NOT EVERYTHING IS AS IT SEEMS PLEASE DONT HATE MEEEEE**

**This chapter actually took me twice as long to write because it's... well, twice as long. LOL I CAN'T WRITE FIGHT SCENES I'M SO SORRY. **

**(I actually hate this chapter I thoroughly apologize for the terrible...ness. **

**REVIEWS**

_**SynapticNeuron:**_** See, it's when I get these kinds of reviews - the ones that tell me what you like and specifying and explaining - that make e want to keep writing. Seriously, thank you so much for this, I really appreciate that! I have to go back the fourth! I'm helping out with grade eight orientation, though, so I'll be there tomorrow too LOL :)**

_**Guest:**_** Thanks! God, I know, Mako's just so attractive XDD So you do think I should put it on deviant art? Every time I do that, people always think I'm stealing my own story AHAHA And thank you, I'm so glad you think so! :)**

_**dumplingsofbolin(guest): **_**Oh my God that beard if freaking hilarious! Your display name honestly makes me laugh EVERY SINGLE TIME. So kudos to a great name! and Thanks for loving this story! :D**

_**maila08: **_**Yeah, that would make a lot of sense, wouldn't it... SHHHH DON'T SPOIL MY FUTURE CHAPTERS FOR YOURSELF SWEETIE BY GUESSING THINGS ACCURATELY. GOSH. ;) I'm seriously hoping to have this story done before Book 2 but I doubt it, honestly. AGAIN STAHP. HAHA thanks for the review!**

_**Black Dragon Master:**_** *tears up* AHHHHH YAYYYY THANK YOU SO MUCHHHH**

_**JayLiyah: **_**Can I just ask; what does your username mean? Is it from a fandom or something personal? As for your review, I really appreciate how much you like this story and I'm glad you and I both agree that keeping the new Gaang together is the best decision... and then I ripped it apart. MY BAD. Well, Mako's going to need Asami and Bolin now more than ever. Thanks again! :D**

_**Guest: **_**So you like the fast pace of the story? Kay good I'm glad someone does! :D The updates may slow down a bit as school comes but I promise I'll do my best! Thank you for making me want to put my work out here!**

_**Guest:**_** Yeah, sorry about the mix up with the wording there! And I KNOW SAME ITS SO ADORABLE HES JUST SO CONCERNED UGH. Me and fictional characters, dude. :P**

_**Guest:**_** So wait, I get three high fives then? Sickkkkkkk. Thanks bud! :)**

_**woah (Guest): **_**Actually, yes, but not in the way that you think. Keep reading to figure it out! and yeah, which I'm pretty sure is what the creatures were doing in this chapterrrrrr ;D **

**Alright, just a heads up that the next chapter will be alternating POV's and this will be where the Korra and Mako plots split up and single out. (if that doesn't tell you something i don't know what will)**

**~Sistergrimm97**


	6. Chapter 6

"Mako…"

A thick, impenetrable darkness surrounded the firebender's vision. It was as if someone had dipped him in a vat of tar and left him there to drown.

That was how he felt, his throat tight and his clothes weighed down with – something. He attempted to open his eyes under the black goo but found them sealed shut, his heart in his stomach. He wasn't sure why, but somehow he felt… empty. Different, like something vital had been taken from him.

"Mako, wake up…"

Who was that? _Korra_, he realized with a sigh. That must be who was calling him; Spirits, that girl was impatient. He struggled against his cage but found himself trapped, his breath becoming painful. The longer he stayed here, the more it hurt, and the more he panicked.

He fought to break free of the black void, to lift his head, to do _something. _His movements became more desperate, his panic more pronounced. Again, he couldn't place his panic, he just knew he had to get out. _Now. _

Just when he thought he was stuck there forever, a voice whispered, "Please, Mako," and just like that, he opened his eyes.

Mako flinched against the white light, a hiss of pain escaping his lips as his pupils dilated to accommodate the light. He was in a cold, white room; there was no light bright enough to hurt his eyes but the walls and ceiling sure did the trick. He shivered involuntarily, clutching the blanket closer to him as he sat up slowly. His eyes flitted across the room – it was circular, with nothing but a table, two chairs, and the bed he slept in to call furniture. The walls were bare, the purity of the room not escaping the firebender's noticed.

His eyes roamed and searched for his girlfriend, but Korra's face never came into sight. Instead, a black-haired teenager, sporting a dark green parka, greeted him with a relieved smile.

"Thank the Spirits you're alright," his brother sighed, his green shining. "I thought I was going to have to pull you from the jaws of life back there."

His older brother chuckled weakly. "Where am I?"

"You're in one of the infirmary igloos. This whole place is built out of snow, can you believe it?"

Despite the emptiness he felt in his chest, Mako offered a small smile, looking at the door the whole time. "That's cool. And Korra? Where did she go?"

The smile instantly died from the earthbender's face, a look of agony replacing it. "Mako…" he whispered gently, his voice catching painfully. The firebender looked into his brother's eyes and remembered – remembered _everything. _Her dreams, the warning, the attack, and Korra… Korra falling, Korra kissing him, Korra's face as she disappeared.

Mako flinched away from his brother, his face a mask of horror. "Don't. Don't say it, Bo."

Bolin swallowed, tears running down his face, but he refused to break eye contact.

"Korra's gone, Mako."

The eldest of the two's fists curled into the blankets as he let them slide off his body, his head held low.

Mako would have given anything to be back in that endless sea of black.

* * *

Korra's eyes fluttered open, her neck twisting uncomfortably as she looked up. She was lying on her stomach, blades of grass tickling her bare arms, inviting her to stay for just a little longer.

She pushed herself into a sitting position, her legs crossed. A memory of pain shot through her and she gasped, her hand shooting to her chest as she felt for the hole the creature had no doubt left where her heart should be.

There was nothing. Not even the slightest hint of pain or residue.

"Huh," she said to herself. "That's weird." She shook it off and stood up, beginning to scope out the area.

She was standing in a clearing surrounded by bright, vivid shades of green, pink, blue, and hundreds of others Korra doubted she could even name. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Tall trees hung in the air, some shooting hundreds of feet into the air before abruptly ending in a mushroom-cut of leaves. Some flowers had yet to even unfurl their petals while others swayed gently in the breeze, hot pinks and fiery oranges intermingling.

_Everything here is so much bigger than back home, _Korra thought to herself absently. She brushed her fingers against the soft flesh of a late blossom and shivered, realizing the pod on its own was twice her height and could swallow her whole.

Despite its breathtaking scenery and warm summer breeze that smelled like lilies, the Avatar shifted on her feet uncomfortably. Everything here was almost _too _perfect, the colours much too vibrant to be part of a real place. So where _was _she?

Korra decided her best bet was to check out her surroundings from an aerial view. She got into a jumper's stance, her knees bent and shoulder width apart, and took a deep breath. Her arms rigid by her side, she threw her mind with the wind and jumped.

Only to fall on her face as soon as her feet left the ground.

The young girl groaned and picked herself up, her heart racing a mile a minute. Panic swelled in her chest, a ferocious lion that threatened to devour her whole. She thought of fire, the way its scorching tongues would shoot from her skin, and punched the air. Nothing.

She called upon the earth, the way it always felt smooth and soft beneath her feet. She slammed her heel into the ground; not even the tiniest quiver responded to her.

There was no water in the area, no raindrops or residue, but Korra somehow knew that even that would no longer listen.

Her breath came out in hitches. "All right, Korra," she said, her voice an octave higher than normal, "relax, girl. You can figure this out. Your bending is not gone forever. This is not like Amon. I repeat: not like Amon."

Her words fell true, the panic ebbing away slowly. Korra could feel the fire licking at her stomach, the air channeling through her veins and the earth's willingness to mould with her feet. She could sense the water in the air but could not touch it. It was like she had lost her ability to speak to the elements, and yet they were still waiting for her voice.

"Difficulties, Avatar?"

Korra nearly screamed, the sound catching in her throat as she whirled around to meet the intruder. It was a girl, as old as Korra or maybe even a year younger. Her eyes were a soulful blue, the trademark colour of someone native to the water tribes. She wore a beautiful white dress, with long flowing sleeves and ribbons that shimmered in the wind. Blue lace was embroidered into the edges of the fabric, and the garment reached past the girl's feet, covering her legs.

Her lips were curled into a soft smile, the kind that showed maturity and wisdom, and she had a sort of twinkle in her features that felt as if she was remembering something from a long time ago.

The strangest – and perhaps most beautiful of all – was the young girl's hair. It was, like the dress, pure white. It was done up in a similar fashion to Korra's; two braids were weaved on either side of her neck, falling all the way past her chest, while the rest of her was pulled up into a loop at the back of her head. The Avatar felt a strange tugging sensation, like she had met this girl before.

"Who are you?" Korra demanded, putting two fists in front of her defensively. "What have you done with my bending?"

The girl shook her head, the smile still on her lips. "I promise you, Avatar, I am not here to harm you. Nor have I taken your bending away in any form."

Korra felt herself relax, pulling herself back to stand up straight. She eyes the young girl warily; she certainly didn't _look _like those things that had attacked them earlier…

"Where am I?"

The white-haired girl chuckled, a melodious noise that loosened the tension in Korra's muscles. "You're in the Spirit World, Avatar. More specifically, this is the realm of Rokou."

As she spoke, the girl walked over to an oversized flower and touched its petals gently. The brunette watched as it glowed even brighter than before, pollen falling out of it like stars.

"Okay," Korra said, "that explains something. But what about my bending? Where did it go?"

The girl motioned with her hands to follow, and as she turned and walked down a path Korra had never seen before, she explained.

"Your bending didn't _go _anywhere. It's still with you, waiting for you to summon it."

"But I have been summoning it!"

The beautiful girl shook her head. "The Spirit World cuts you off from your body, and your mind. Bending, while still a very spiritual essence, requires a physical body to fully complete. That's why you have so much power when you're in the Avatar State, because you are drawing all that essence from your past lives and channeling it through your body."

Korra ran to catch up, her mind working double time to process what was being said. "So this isn't my body? I mean, don't get me wrong, I know all about how the Avatar leaves their body when they enter the Spirit World, but I figured by falling into that whole, I would be coming out in all in one piece. "

The path was leading them deeper into the forest; everything was varying shades of green, birds chirping in the distance and the sounds of a babbling brook reaching their ears. For once, it made Korra nervous to hear something so peaceful at such a perilous time.

"That rift in the cloak between our two worlds was not made by any normal spirit's hands. That was the result of the Dark Spirits, and is not a way into the Spirit World. It is merely a means to an end, if you will. A way for them to get from one place to another."

"But…" Korra stammered, her eyes suddenly widening. "If my spirit is here, and I fell into a portal, then where's my body?"

The girl with the white hair stared at her for a moment, then turned and looked up, facing the moon that was barely visible in the daylight. She swept her arms out in front of it, and the air shimmered under her touch. It was as though she had touched the surface of a pond, the air rippling and expanding until, suddenly, there was a black hole that wavered with the wind. Korra peered in, her eyes roaming curiously at the sight in front of her.

They were looking into a cave, visible only by the moonlight. The entrance was guarded by two black creatures, the same that had attacked her and her friends only hours ago. Or was it minutes? Days? _Months?_

She shook her head and focused, reminding herself that this was not the right time. Inside, a third, larger beast was focused on something – some_one – _immobile, lying at its feet limply. At first Korra thought it was one of the wild people who lived in the tundra – hair tangled and caked with dirt, scratch marks coating its whole body. She soon began to recognize, however, the details in which she had gotten used to so long ago. Dark-olive skin, toned legs and arms that could rip someone's arm off with ease, the brownish tint in their lips. The clothing was perhaps the biggest giveaway, though perhaps Korra was adjusting to the fact that she was outside of her body, looking at it motionless on the ground.

"She has fallen," the creature whispered softly, its arm reaching out and dropping, as though hesitant to touch the Avatar. "It is all over. Soon, we will be ready to strike."

For what felt like the millionth time, Korra felt panic well deep within her. "Strike? What does that thing mean, strike? And why did it say, '_she has fallen'_?"

"It's what you think, but it isn't the truth. You're still very much alive."

"And my friends?" Korra demanded. "What about them, what do they think happened to me?"

Korra's companion looked her dead in the eye for a long moment. They stared at each other, not saying a word, and yet the Avatar could feel bile rising in her throat, horror locking her in place. She wanted to be anywhere but here, to get away from the truth of it all, but she couldn't.

The girl took a deep breath. "They think you're dead."

* * *

**Wow, so remember how I said I probably just lost a LOT of readers from the last stunt I pulled? Yeah, I'm pretty sure it actually doubled. LOOL you morbid people are so like me, it's wonderful. **

**ANYWAYS I do have a couple of things I need to mention in order to clear things up: **

**1) The realm of Rokou is made-up; Rokou is actually Japanese for entrance, and as Korra started here, I thought it made sense. **

**2) I refuse to tell you who that girl is because if you don't know I'm pretty shocked LOL**

**So, you guys are huge Avatards, right? Well, so am I! And as I'm writing this whole story, I've been following this blog on tumblr, which is called Avatar Fighting Styles! I have to give huge credit to the guy who made it because there is no way I would have been able to do any fight scenes half as well as I did without his beautiful gifs and names for them all! Also, later on in the story I will begin incorporating the names he has thought up into the story to (with his permission of course!) That may not be for a couple of chapters because I won't be writing those scenes until then, but it shall happen! Here's the blog name, just take out the spaces: avatarfightingstyles. tumblr. com**

**REVIEWS**

_**maila08:**_** Your review made me honesty laugh so hard, because I was expecting you to freak like that. I was seriously just waiting for it! XD**

_**Black Dragon Master: **_**I know, I have a problem with things being too intense, sorry! :O hope this kind of calms everything down (a little)**

_**JayLiyah: **_**Again, love the reviews you send me, they're so perf and they make me want to give you so many little smiley emotes so here! :) :) :) :) I know, I'm so horrible to these characters, right? And the chapter thing... yeah, channeling my inner Rick Riordan here, sorry! :D And cool, tributes are always awesome, especially for usernames :)**

_**anne (Guest): **_**Haha, I can'ttttt why do you all think I can? Man, did you fall off the bed? That would suck and I'd feel pretty bad LOL I'm glad you all like the quick updates, I really enjoy writing especially once I get into something. Also, it may have only been one sentence to you, but the end of your review really made my day. It's so nice that someone takes pleasure in my writing and I don't think I'll ever get used to that. **

_**Guest: **_**I LOVE QUICK ESCALATIONS ;D Yeah, I don't tend to go for AU's or anything focusing on OC's, so sorry about that! :P**

_**J (Guest): **_**Awww, thanks! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

_**i'mNotAgirlinlove:**_** YES you found a good one, I'm happy for you! Can you send me the link so I can read it too? ;) MAKORRA 5EVA FOR SURE. I actually have happy little spazzies about them! Thanks girl! I LOVE THE HUNTER HAYES SONG ITS SO GREAT"And I just wanna wrap you up, wanna kiss your lips, I, I wanna make you feel wanted" SO CUTE. **

_**Guest: **_**A thrill ride? I haven't heard that one before but I certainly like it! Thanks so much for another awesome review and I'm so glad you like this story! OMG I REWATCHED IT TOO. SO AWESOME THE SECOND TIME. The quick resolve is what it is, unfortunately, though in the creators' defence they didn't realize how much people would love it, right? I'm impatient too, I don't know if I could rematch Avatar because I JUST NEED TOPH SO MUCH UGH **

_**dumplingsofbolin (Guest):**_** Here you go, next chapter! Hope I made you feel better!**

_**Artemis Jane (Guest): **_**I KEPT WRITING BECAUSE YOU ASKED (and cause I wanted to) And thanks! I'm really glad you like it! NO NOT THE WITHDRAWALS AHHHHH I fix that for you here's the next chapter! :)**

_**Guest: **_**How are we going to pull this off? We need to sit and then like, press the soles of our feet together nd high ten and wow that will be weird. LOL**

**__you guys don't understand how much it means to see people review this story. I really am so thankful to all of you for sticking around with my crappy writing and for inspiring me to keep going. **

**School has started and I'm so done for in Physics 11 and Chem 11, but I should be okay otherwise (JUST KIDDING IM GONNA FAIL EVERYTHING WOO AT LEAST ILL ALWAYS HAVE FANFICTION) so, I will be updating less frequently BUT I will make an effort for AT THE VERY VERY LEAST to have one chapter every... we'll start with every four days? Cause I can write 500 words on the way in to school no problem :) and I have a rule: All chapters must be minimum two thousand words soooo**

**Oh, also, awkward yet totally flattering moment of the day: I was sitting on the bus doing my homework and some guy who was my age kept looking over at me. We get to the end of the route and I'm about to get up when he taps my binder with his phone. I thought he was going to tell me I was doing my work wrong, but he actually told me I was pretty and if wanted to get to know me better but he was too shy to talk to me and could he please have my number? I actually already have a boyfriend and have had one for nearly a year now, so I had to let him down. It was sweet, but I feel bad! Not because I rejected him, but because I'm pretty sure I traumatized the poor guy I FEEL SO GUILTY AND AWKWARD UGHHHHH. **

**~Sistergrimm97**


	7. Chapter 7

Korra stared at the other girl in disbelief.

"They think I'm dead?" She whispered, her voice hoarse. She could just imagine everyone's reactions; the Avatar, _dead, _at not even eighteen years old. She hadn't even mastered airbending, for Spirits' sake, not to mention her completely ignorant stance on her spiritual side. Had this happened before? Had a previous Avatar ever died this early in their lives? Korra couldn't remember – it was hard enough trying to recall the last three Avatars before her, never mind the hundreds that came before her.

And her friends, how would they feel? The caring part of her wanted them to get on with their lives as quickly as possible, maybe even help train the new Avatar. Agni knew that Mako and Bolin could teach the little earthbender better than anyone knew. Asami could teach her successor how to treat a non-bender and the best fighting skills there were.

But Korra wasn't dead, and that meant she had to figure out a way to get back to her body. Because as much as she hoped that they were taking this misunderstanding, the Avatar knew they were about as opposite of okay as you could get.

She turned back to the girl in the white hair. "Can I… Can you show them to me?"

The spirit – Korra figured she must be as such because she lived in the Spirit World – hesitated. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

The Avatar nodded firmly.

"Very well." The other girl waved her hand over the moon again, and the portal rippled, morphing the picture as it rippled.

Korra glanced in; they were looking at a room with mahogany walls and a table in the center, various people surrounding the only furniture room. Maps hung on the windowless walls and paper was strewn about.

Korra turned to the girl with the white hair. "Can this thing act as a teleporter?"

The spirit frowned. "I guess, though I've never had to use it before since –" But the Avatar had already leapt through, stepping out onto the wooden floorboards. She noted her transparency.

The occupants of the room seemed to be arguing; a man in a yellow parka raised his voice above the rest…

* * *

"Enough!" Tenzin shouted, effectively silencing the room. "We need to have order between us! All this talking over each other is absurd!"

The occupants of the small, wooden room looked at him. There were warriors from the Southern Water Tribe, benders and non-benders alike. Katara sat in the only chair, her eyes watery but strong, and Tonraq stood at the head, his face void of all emotions.

One of the top military waterbenders sneered at him. "Or what? The _Avatar _will come and bring balance to us all? In case you haven't realized, she's de –"

"I am fully aware!" The airbender snapped, flinching at the man's unspoken words. "In case _you _haven't realized, we have even more reason to unite the four nations. Those creatures are dangerous, and powerful. They can bend fire, and even without that they're much more powerful than us."

"So what do you suggest, Master Tenzin?" The single remaining Lotus guard asked. "If Avatar Korra couldn't beat these things, then what chance do we have?"

At this, the man deflated visibly. He turned to the Avatar's father. "Tonraq?" The man looked as though he had aged ten years in the time they had visited him. He looked at them all, as though he couldn't quite wrap his mind around what had happened.

"I –" he started, but his voice choked, and he left the room quickly.

Tenzin sighed, his shoulders drooping. "Look," he said, his voice ragged and full of pain, "I don't know more than any of you. All I know is that Korra told us that she's been having bad dreams about these creatures, and on our way here, they ambushed us."

Katara looked up suddenly. "You say Korra's been dreaming of them?"

Bolin, who had been leaning against the table's edge, stood up straighter. "Yeah, she has. Do you know anything, Master Katara?"

"When Aang and I were first married, he was summoned to the Earth King's palace in Ba Sing Se. He told us that his youngest son was being plagued with nightmares. But they weren't normal nightmares. Every time the boy woke up, he would be hurt.

"At first it was small, things the boy could have done to himself in his sleep; a few scratches on his shoulder, bruises on his wrists like someone had violently grabbed him. But as the family continued to dismiss it, the injuries worsened, until one morning the young boy woke up with three gashes running across his chest. The King, who had grown very worried, begged Aang to do something.

"My husband couldn't figure out what was causing these dangerous dreams and, try as he might, he couldn't fix them. He decided to meditate on it and call on some of his past lives to see if they could help him.

"Avatar Roku told us of these spirits that, while very spiritual, were also extremely evil. Everything has a balance, and evil balances out the good, and vice versa. These beings were called dark spirits, and they were as powerful as any other spirit, and could hold their own in a fight against the Avatar. In fact, they could defeat him."

"So how did Avatar Aang save the little boy?" Bolin asked.

"He didn't. When we went to inform the Earth King of the new information, the boy was already dead. They had killed him in his sleep."

Everyone looked at the elder in shock, mouths slightly agape. There was a pregnant pause. Bolin sat on the table hard, his face colourless.

Asami broke the silence, speaking for the first time that night. "So… What do we do?"

Tenzin sighed. He looked towards the messenger in the room, the face of a leader on his features once more.

"Send word to the other nations," he said firmly, leaving no room for argument. "Tell them that there is an incomparable danger amongst us. One we haven't in over fourteen years." He took a deep breath, and then said:

"Tell the earth kingdom to start looking for the next Avatar. Korra is dead."

As the room awoke with a worried buzz, the boy who had been leaning against the back straightened up. Wordlessly, he left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. No one paid him any attention; that is, no one but the sole earth bender in the room.

Bolin looked up as he watched the flash of red around his brother's neck disappear behind the door. He wiped his face quickly and nudged Asami, whose cheeks were stained with tears.

The teenager nodded his head toward the exit and the heiress nodded immediately, following him as they made their way across and out the room. He didn't owe her an explanation; she would have trusted any of the members of Team Avatar with her life.

The two emerged from the building, their eyes adjusting to the dark of the night. The wind had quieted considerably since earlier, but still it snuck through their parkas and slid through their bones like seal-snakes. They shivered and pulled the thick jackets closer to them.

They found him at the water's edge, his back to them. The light from the moon lit up the waters, its pale white contrasting against the night's darkness. His red scarf, just barely visible, fluttered mournfully in the breeze.

Bolin and Asami approached him hesitantly, both trying to find the words that could help them all.

"It's funny," Mako said, beating them to the punch without turning around, "how everyone's more worried about finding the next Avatar than how to fight these so-called Dark Spirits."

The pair behind him exchanged glances. Bolin stepped forward, struggling to keep his voice upbeat. "They're probably trying to find them quickly so that –"

"I mean, what do they expect the kid to do? It'll be a baby, for crying out loud!" He paid no heed to the fact he just cut his brother off. "It's not like it can bend all four elements and enter the Avatar State when it can barely walk and talk."

"Well, maybe this way, the earlier they find him the faster he can bend all four elements and –"

Mako laughed humourlessly. "And what, Bo? It won't matter then. By the time this kid will master earth, these things will probably have wiped out half of us! We need to be to figure out an alternative. We need to be able to defend ourselves _now._"

"We don't know what will happen, Mako!" Bolin argued. "And Korra certainly –"

"Don't!" At this, the firebender whirled around to face them. "Don't say her name!"The two stared at each for a long moment. There was something about their heated conversation that was familiar to both boys.

"Please don't do this again." His little brother whispered.

Mako reeled back as if he'd been slapped; he finally took in the tears that ran down Bolin's face, his eyes lacking their usual twinkle of joy. The way Asami's shoulders convulsed, her hands pressed against her mouth in an attempt to contain her sobs.

There was a time that both brothers kept hidden under a thick blanket in their minds, something that was only uncovered on the darker days they would have. The weeks quickly following their parents' murder when Mako was basically non-responsive, when Bolin had been at his most vulnerable and scared, were some of the earth-benders worst memories. His older brother wouldn't speak, his eyes haunted and unfocused as Bolin begged him to _find Mom, find Dad! Please, Mako, I'm scared!_

Mako lived with those two weeks as a reminder that he could never let himself love again. Bolin would be his exception, but no one else, because losing someone you loved meant losing yourself.

And he had broken that promise. Twice. Once when he foolishly agreed to have Korra on the Fire Ferrets, and once when Asami hit him with her Satobike.

"I need to be alone right now," he said softly, averting his eyes and turning back to the sea. "I'm sorry."

"But Mako –"

"Please, Bolin." His voice cracked, and the tears began to fall, silently, relentlessly. "Just for tonight." And as he listened to two pairs of feet shuffle through the snow, he looked up at the moon.

"You promised," he whispered tearfully. His voice broke, and he screamed. "You _promised _me! You said you wouldn't leave, and you broke that promise!" He let out a gut-wrenching sob, falling to his knees as he wept.

There was a sharp blast of wind, and his neck suddenly prickled from the cold. He opened his eyes and saw that his scarf had fallen to the snow. He picked it up and stared at it, this beautiful fabric that his father wore all the time.

Something inside him snapped. His expression turned fierce, his lips pulling into a broken-hearted scowl. He got up, crumpling the red garment until it was a thick ball of cotton. He looked out at the sea once more, a single moan of agony leaving his lips, before he pulled back his arm and threw his most prized possession into the water. It went far, much farther than Mako had ever expected, and yet that made him feel better. He watched it hit the water and stop, floating peacefully as the contact rippled the water, shattering the moon's reflection.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," the boy whispered. "Both of you."

And then he turned and walked away, unaware that he had just screamed into the face of the girl he was mourning over.

* * *

Korra looked at her companion desperately. "Isn't there anything I can do?" She could feel tears of her own running down her face, but she ignored them.

"Life is supposed to take its own course."

"Please!" The Avatar begged, her voice high with emotions. "I love them! I love _him_! I can't just watch them all suffer! One sign, anything!"

The spirit pursed her lips, before she touched Korra's shoulders gently. "I've given you enough spiritual energy that you can touch something. But only one thing, before it drains. Your mind isn't yet fit for that because you are not completely separate from your body. So make this count."

The brunette nodded and dove into the water, slicing through the depths easily. She reached the scarf, which had begun to sink, and grasped it tightly in her hands. She felt a slight tingling, as though her hands had gone numb, and returned to the land, picking herself out of the water and rushing over to Mako.

Her hands were transparent, her body dry and her breathing even despite the effort in swimming and running. He wouldn't know it was she. And yet…

And yet, as she wrapped it around his neck in his usual manner, watching as his eyes widened in disbelief, she knew it would do the trick. Because he could say that the winds blew it back to him, but he couldn't say they wrapped it twice around his neck and tucked it into his jacket, denting feminine fingerprints into the cold, wet fabric.

* * *

**Who has gone through grade 11 and found it hard? Because I only just finished the first week but my chemistry teacher has me peeing myself in fear. Seriously!**

******Before anyone says that this is a little OOC or that Korra and Asami are strong, independent women, I would just like to point out that they all think Korra is dead. Asami would cry, of that I'm sure, and Korra would cry because she would feel responsible for her friends' pain. **

******Also, I warned you guys that updating would take longer; here's my proof! But hey, worth it, right? (ihopeomg)**

******REVIEWS**

_******maila08:**_****** Yes! And thanks! You bring up a good point, one I was (stupid as it sounds) ignorant to and will try to resolve in the later chapters! Thanks for pointing that out!**

******_i'mNotAgirlinlove: _Haha, thanks girl! HEY NO BREAKING MY SHIP LOL again, thanks for all your kind words, they mean so much! :) Yes, that is who the spirit is! ;) I'm actually so done for for school it isn't funny. I will only do well in socials and biology, I see it now. LOL  
**

_******J (Guest):**_****** It has? AWESOME. I feel terrible that I'm putting the kid through this; how horrible am I? Haha, thank you!**

_****** t: **_******Please don't die! Then I wouldn't get to space all the letters in your name! ;) Sorry this took so long!**

_******Black Dragon Master:**_****** Oh my God, I know. I mean, I don't even know how I'd react to that... probably like Mako or worse, you know?**

_******sparkstoaflame: **_******Answered privately!********  
**

_******Anne (Guest):**_****** Thanks! I try not to bring in too many filler chapters, I'm not actually sure how I could even hype myself up to write one LOL Your review was great, so thanks! "The gift is a rare and precious thing" I couldn't agree more, though I wish I could take credit for the small gift that is mine. You'd have my brother to thanks for that! **

_******author-144:**_****** AWWWWW THANKS! But on a serious note, no heart attacks. Those are strictly forbidden. No. You are not allowed to have one. No. I said no. ;) **

_******Little Mockingjay: **_******OOP FANDOM CLASH HUNGER GAMES WOOP sorry LOL love your username. And thanks!**

_******Guest:**_****** See I actually took a quiz that says I'd be an earth bender so that air bending high five is out LOL Yes, school is mildly necessary ;) LOL thanks on both parts!**

_******StarryNight101:**_****** Isn't it so cute? :D Angst and fluff are like, the best things ever! Intensity is pretty great too! :) **

_******JayLiyah:**_****** You basically just hit the nail on the head with Mako's feelings. I'll be revealing why she doesn't have a major injury later, you'll have to keep reading!**

******OKAY I AM SO SORRY I WOULD HAVE HAD THIS UP LAST NIGHT BUT MY DAMN INTERNET SHUT DOWN SO YOU ALL HAD TO WAIT I APOLOGIZE. **

******~sistergrimm97**


	8. Chapter 8

Four figures lumbered down a deep cave, shadows trailing them as the flame they held in their bony fingers flickered eerily. The hall was dark as midnight, each of their bodies only just outlined. The small procession walked single file as the walls seemed to close in on them due to their intimidating size. Three of them carried something in their arms or over their shoulder; the one in the front did not. Their steps were exaggerated, their shoulders rising and falling in accordance with their feet.

Finally, they came out into a small, underground cavern only slighter taller than the hall but much more spacious. Water condensed onto the stalactites and dripped onto the floor, the splash resounding in the room like a shouted whisper. The floor was bare; no snow or dirt, only the craggy rock they had seen for the last hour.

The group congregated into a circle, the one who carried nothing standing slightly in front of the others. He was the leader, no doubt, and yet he looked no different than the rest of them. Taller and slightly more built, but the differences stopped there.

The figures on either side of him dropped a large pile of plywood to the ground, wood they had taken from the burning wreck of the boat they had devastated only a few days earlier. Simultaneously, they stretched out their hands and allowed fire to shoot out of their palms, engulfing the wood. The room filled with the crackling of firewood. The cavern erupted into a glowing amber light, illuminating their faces' with a horror only described in legends.

The leader spoke, its voice leaving no room for argument.

"Bring forth the girl."

The fourth and final silhouette stepped forward, the creature's body lit up from the firelight. It dropped the motionless girl that had been slung across its shoulder unceremoniously to the ground. It toed her torso carelessly, testing how dead she was, before kicking her ribs and sending her careening toward the leader.

"She is dead, sir," it crowed delightedly. A sort of hissing noise came from the first beast, and its followers ducked instinctively.

The beast crouched, bringing its face up close to the girl. He sniffed her, much like a polar-bear dog sniffed a penguin-seal's trail. It watched her expression, expectant, but not even a stirring moved this girl.

The leader stood back up, its voice laced with doubt. "Yes, it would appear so." A low, demonic chuckle suddenly sounded deep within its throat. "I would have expected more of a fight from the famous Avatar."

Its minions laughed with him for a moment before it turned on them. "You two," it said, pointing at the ones who had carried the firewood, "go into the Spirit World and tell the rest of our brethren it is time to attack." They turned and ran off obediently.

"And you," it motioned at its final companion, "watch over the girl. Keep the body warm and make sure it is in a good enough condition that we may bring it back as a spoil of war."

"As you wish, sir."

The leader's voice was full of delight and malice, and no doubt his lips would have curled up into a grin had he had a mouth. "The ancient spirits have been influencing the Human World for far too long. Soon, it will be our turn."

He looked down at the body at his feet, chuckling contentedly at the still form of the Avatar staring lifelessly back up at him.

* * *

"So what now?" Korra asked, leaning against the base of one of the enormous flowers. They had returned to the Spirit World after Mako had run off after his brother. It had been too painful to watch him, to be so close to her boyfriend and yet be unable to even be noticed.

The spirit looked at her, her hands covered by the long sleeves she wore. She looked nervous and uncomfortable, her teeth gnawing at her lower lip. Korra caught the gesture and stood up, worried.

"What is it?" She demanded a tad sharply. The spirit sighed, looking next to her feet at the grass that swayed melodiously with the wind.

She whispered, "I have done a terrible wrong, Avatar."

"What do you mean?"

"I am not supposed to interfere with your new task," she explained, finally meeting the Avatar's gaze. "I fear by allowing you through that portal, I have altered the course of your destination."

"What?" Korra gasped, repeating the word for the fourth time. "That makes no sense! Aang got help when Hei Bai was terrorizing Senlin Village during the Hundred Year War!"

She nodded. "Yes, and I'm allowed to assist you – to a point. However, there are certain restrictions even a spirit has."

Korra huffed impatiently, crossing her arms like a stubborn child. "So, I'm just supposed to – what? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do anymore!" The Avatar made a sort of growling sound, her lips curled back into a vicious scowl.

What was she supposed to do? She hadn't been asked to teleport here; this was about as far from where she wanted to be at the moment. Korra didn't care that she was acting like a little kid. For Agni's sake, she just wanted to see her family and friends! Why did things always turn out this way for her?

She felt a hand on her shoulder, but refused to look her companion in the eyes. "Korra," she said soothingly, "I wish I could help you, but I've done as much as you need me to do. There are portals where spirits can transcend into the Human World, but they're in other regions. All you have to do is find one."

Finally, she looked up at the girl with the white hair. "How did you know my name?"

"Huh?" The spirit looked confused.

"My name. You've been calling me 'Avatar' since we've crossed paths, and now suddenly it's Korra. What gives?"

Her companion laughed, shaking her head ruefully. "Korra, I've been watching the Avatar for over seventy years now – don't you think I'd know your name?"

Korra blinked. "Yes, but… I don't even know yours."

"Yes, you do," she said gently, her deep blue eyes searching the Avatar's soul. "You've known it all along; you just haven't put two and two together."

That confused the brunette. How could she know someone and yet… not? She recalled the way the girl waved her hands in front of the moon to make the portals, how her rich eyes were common from Water Tribe women. She noted the white hair, how the young girl seemed to balance her out…

Instantly, images began to flood in her head, as though someone had pulled a blanket away.

"_Our strength comes from the Spirit of the Moon. Our life comes from the Spirit of the Ocean. They work together to keep balance."_

"_My dark hair turned white, I opened my eyes and began to cry - and they knew I would live. That's why my mother named me Yue, for the moon."_

"_You have been touched by the moon spirit. Some of its life is in you."_

"_It gave me life. Maybe I can give it back."_

Korra's eyes widened considerably. She stumbled backwards, looking at the girl in shock. "You're Princess Yue." It was more statement than fact; the Moon Spirit just nodded.

"You sacrificed yourself to save thousands of our people," Korra continued, remembering the lessons Katara had given her. "When you were born, they thought you would die. So your parents prayed to the Moon Spirit, and you lived on. That's why when Admiral Zhao murdered his physical form, you gave up your life to save him and, in turn, became the new Moon Spirit."

Again, Yue nodded.

"I wanted to help Sokka so many times through his journey. I wanted to help them all, to end the war that plagued the four nations and so many people I loved. But if we offer too much of our services, their paths are altered, which causes the world to become unbalanced.

"As the Moon Spirit, I'm meant to keep balance. Balance is yin and yang, push and pull, good and evil. I can tip the scales in your favour, but if I push too hard then the world's balance is upset."

Korra sighed. "So what you're saying is that I have to do this journey on my own?"

"I'm afraid so."

The Avatar looked up at the towering trees that shaded them. As far as she could tell, the plants were twice as vibrant as the ones back home. This place made absolutely no sense to her whatsoever; the beauty of nature was palpable here but every time she looked around her she felt more and more uncomfortable. It was as if the Spirit World preyed on her fears and worries.

Yue offered a comforting smile at her. It quelled her worries slightly, her muscles relaxing.

"I have faith in you, Avatar Korra," she said. "I know you can find your way back to your body, and I know you can vanquish the Dark Spirits."

Then her eyes twinkled with a foreshadowing sadness. "This is where I leave you." She pulled her hand away, turned, and began walking down the path.

"What? No!" Korra stumbled after her, fighting to keep down her curiosity. "You can't just leave! There's so much you haven't told me!"

But with each passing step, Yue's body faded more and more into the background until she was gone, her body vanishing as suddenly as a mirage.

Korra kept running, only screeching to a stop when she was sure the Moon Spirit was gone. She had had a companion here when she came in, but now…. Now she was completely on her own. The brunette sat down hard on the dirt path, her mind reeling.

She hadn't been lying to the girl when she basically told her she was still so confused. Korra really _didn't _know anything of what was going on. What were these Dark Spirits and why were they suddenly in the Human World? Why did they have it out for Korra and how was she supposed to find a bridge out of the Spiritual world?

There was one question that had been nagging at her mind incessantly: Why couldn't she beat these beasts? It was like everything she and her friends had thrown at them, they could dodge. They took her down in the Avatar State, for Spirits' sake! She was completely and utterly at a loss for what to do.

Korra soaked up the heat in a patch of sunlight, clearing her mind of her curiosity. _There will be time for those later, _she scolded herself as she took deep breaths. Everything was still in the air, and with the Avatar's sense of peace and calm, everything seemed serene.

But she should have known better. Should have realized that complete silence is a sign of danger. Should have better defended herself.

A large snapping sound echoed through the woods, hurting the silence's ears. Korra stood up, looking around her with furrowed eyebrows. The darkness in the forest remained unmoving, and when she looked to her left the brunette could see nothing.

Another sound– this time of crunching gravel – had her whirling around, freezing, choking, calculating.

How could this be? It made sense, and yet it was so unreal to her. Korra felt utterly defenseless for the first time in her life.

Because about a hundred meters behind her were two Dark Spirits, and she still didn't have her bending.

* * *

**Oh. My. God. **

**WHO SAW THE NEW EPISODES?**

**CAUSE I DID. **

**JESUS FREAKING MURPHY. I KEPT LOSING MY SHIT (sorry for the cursing I'm... ugh FEELS) WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK?**

**Reviews**

_**Black Dragon Master: **_**Yeah, I get that. I mean, I'd want to not know either buttttt I'd also really wanna know. Like how I'll feel when the House of Hades comes out!**

_**maila08:**_** RIGHT? Flying scarves are just, ugh so deep and hurtful! :P**

_**dumplingsofbolin (Guest): **_**Awwww, I'm so sorry I hurt your heart! I'll fix it for you! Thanks so much for the review, it means a lot! And thanks, I'll need it! He's nice but scary!**

_**J (Guest): **_**Yeah I feel bad I did that to Mako LOL but hey, thanks! :D**

_**ecrooked24: **_**I did mention Tonraq already in the last chapter, however they will be playing a good role in the story. I want to delve into the relationship he and Mako will have. I KNOW rigHT I JUST, UGH (feels for my own story dude LOL) And thanks so much! OMG DID YOU NOT LOVE IT?**

_**Guest:**_** I actually don't anymore and I'm sorry for that, with school being what it is I write slower :/ Okay good someone else gets it! People need to calm down on the waiting, they didn't even expect this kind of hype! Thanks so much for the kind words and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

_**Guest:**_** "Must be my Korra temper" AHAHAHAHAHAHA OMG DID YOU SEE THE NEW EPISODE SQUEEEEEEE ngl i hope you keep reading after the premiere! But thanks so much for the review!**

_**i'mNotAgirlinlove:**_** I don't agree with that I deserve praising words... I love getting them for sure, but, I don't think I deserve them. I know right? I can't wait to write that chapter! Ughhhhh studying ._.**

**Okay so the reason this took so long is because I could not for the life of me figure out how to transition and THEN I was given the suggestion to sleep on my chapter and then make sure there no mistakes the next day! (Thanks so much _sparkstoaflame, _it really helped!) **

**Anyways... ugh feels guys!**

**~Sistergrimm97**


	9. Chapter 9

"Guys!"

Bolin and Asami turned, watching in confusion as Mako sprinted after them. His scarf, now soaked with water, billowed in the wind as he ran. The pair exchanged glances.

"Didn't he tell us to leave him alone, like, ten minutes ago?" Bolin asked the heiress as his brother neared. She kept her eyes on the firebender, but responded with a perplexed, "yeah…"

Having finally reached his friends, Mako dropped his hands on his knees, breathing hard. For a long moment, no one spoke.

Bolin cleared his throat. "Uh, bro? You okay?"

His brother looked up at him, puffs of air leaving his lips as he composed himself. Between gasps of breath, he managed to say, "Korra's… She's… Not… Not dead."

Asami started, putting a hand out protectively on instinct. Bolin's eyes widened considerably, his lips dropping into an 'o' shape.

"Wait, what?" He exclaimed in disbelief. "Dude, that's like… That's not possible? Where is she? Is she here with you?"

Mako just shook his head.

They all stood there in the shadow of the moon like a group of lost otter penguins. Lights from the shops had long since been blown out, and doors were firmly closed, barring the wind. Bolin's shoulders were slack and his arms dangled limply at his sides, staring at his brother's bent form. Asami shuffled in the snow uncomfortably, her mind racing.

Finally, she said, "How about we take this conversation inside?"

At that, the brothers looked at her, both of their faces wind-lashed and red. They nodded.

* * *

The heiress stared into her half empty tea mug, watching absently as the leaves swirled at the bottom of the cup.

"Are you sure?" Bolin demanded, searching his brother's face for any signs of false truth or mocking smirks.

Mako just looked at him, dark circles under his eyes as though he hadn't slept in days. Which was, in fact, true; ever since he had heard the news, he had lain in bed all through the night, fixing the ceiling with a lost, emotionless look. He could almost hear Korra crying out, could hear her whispering, "_why didn't you protect me?"_

Bolin kept going. "I mean, the wind could have just picked up and flipped your scarf onto your neck, couldn't it?"

"And flicked it on in the exact way I always wear my scarf?" His older brother snorted. "That's not likely."

For the first time in almost seven months, there was a tension between the two that Mako hadn't initiated. The earthbender fixed him with a glare, his fists clenched together as though her were about to throw a punch.

"Mako," Asami cut in, looking up at him through her lashes worriedly, "how do you know that it's Korra?"

Her ex-boyfriend shifted in his seat. Since he and Korra had started dating, he had started acting and looking his age, losing the hard edge he had held for so long since his parents had died. Now that his girlfriend had potentially come to the same fate, he wasn't cold or dismissive – he only looked tired and vulnerable.

Mako's shoulders slumped. "I don't know it was her," he whispered, unable to look either of them in the eye. "But who else could it have been? Why would any other Spirit be looking out for me? Who else would know about the scarf?"

"So, you think that Korra's… what, a spirit?" Asami questioned.

"Well, it does make sense," Bolin answered her, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "All the other Avatars have become Spirits once they die. Why wouldn't Korra?"

Mako sat there for a moment, seemingly struggling with himself. He hesitated, then began to unwind the now-frozen scarf from his neck. The heat in the room made his neck tingle – he hadn't realized how cold it had been under the freezing garment.

"I don't think Korra died."

His friends were shocked into silence.

"Mako…" Asami said gently, "I know this is hard for you; it is for all of us. But you saw what happened –"

The firebender's chair hit the ground with a resounding thud as he stood up all too quickly. "I know what happened, Asami! I was there. But I felt something back there, okay? I just can't bring myself to believe that Korra is gone when the part of her inside of me is still here." He laid his palm flat on his chest as though he were keeping it from escaping.

Asami reached out to lay her hand on his shoulder, but then thought better of it and dropped it back onto the table, her gaze dropping to the teak wood. She whispered, "I just… I don't want you to get your hopes up. I don't want to get _our _hopes up."

Mako dropped the scarf onto the table – flecks of water and ice spit outward.

"Look at the markings on it." Mako said, his voice lacking the hint of playfulness he had recently acquired.

Asami and Bolin leaned forward, looking at the scarf. There, in the center, were a set of oval shapes indented into the woolen fabric.

Bolin let out a breath disappointedly and turned to glare at his brother. "So what? They're just fingerprints. Big deal, Mako."

Asami paid him no heed; gingerly, so as not to disturb the indentations, she slid her palms under the scarf and brought it close to her face, her eyes narrowed in concentration. As she stared intensely, she held out a hand to the oldest boy.

"Give me your hand."

Without hesitation Mako pulled off his glove and stretched his arm out to her. She snatched at his wrist and pulled it next to the marks. Her lips slowly dropped into a small look of disbelief.

She caught Bolin's gaze and held it, her voice full of emotions. "They're not his."

"Wait, what?" Bolin demanded. "How could they not be?"

"They're too small."

The earthbender cut his gaze between the two before shaking his head, a humourless chuckle escaping his lips. "No, okay, not funny you guys. I saw what I saw. Stop trying to mess with me."

Mako's eyebrows rose. "Mess with you? Why in Agni would we mess with you?"

"I know exactly why!" Bolin shouted, getting to his feet. "Look, Mako, this is a sick joke. I don't want to hear about this anymore." He turned and stomped to the window, his back turned to the two.

Mako and Asami looked at each other, and the former crossed the room, laying an arm on his brother's shoulders. "Bolin, I would never lie to you, you know that."

"Do I, Mako?" His little brother shrugged off his hand. "All you've ever done is protect me! You protected me when Mom and Dad died, and when the firebender came after us you hid us in an alley way. When we worked for the Triple Threats, all you ever did was take care of me. And it's not that I don't appreciate that, but I don't want your damn false hope anymore! I don't want to hear you two lie and tell me Korra's okay, because obviously, she's not. You're only giving me false hope."

The firebender stared at his brother, taken aback. Obviously this had taken a bigger toll on Bolin than he had originally thought; he never complained and always found a positive to each situation. He was rarely ever like this, and on the occasion he was, it sent Mako for a loop. Especially when he cursed; then he was sure his little brother was upset.

Bolin wasn't done. "And what the hell were you thinking, throwing Dad's scarf away?" He shoved Mako in the shoulders, sending him stumbling back slightly. His voice was growing louder still, and tears had begun to run down his cheeks. "You had no right!"

"I was upset! I wasn't thinking –"

"No, you weren't! You never think of my feelings when it comes down to it, just my survival! Did you ever stop to consider how much that would hurt me if you just threw away our last tie to our parents?"

Asami stood up, alarmed. Bolin never, _ever _raised his voice. "Bo, calm down –"

His eyes were ablaze with fury as he turned his gaze on her. "Shut up!" He screamed, his voice whaling. "Just shut up! I've already lost my parents; now I've lost my best friend! Who next, huh – My other best friend, my brother? Who else has to die?"

The room was dead silent. Everyone stared at each other; Mako's face had softened with guilt and understanding, while Asami was still reeling from the younger boy's harsh words. Bolin had put his hands to his lips, eyes wide as he stared at the two of them.

"I'm s-s-sorry," he hiccupped out, his voice barely audible. "I'm so, s-so, s-s-orr-r-y!"

Mako was there in an instant, wrapping his arms around his brother protectively. They both fell to their knees, a mass of tears and clothing. He hugged him fiercely, the space between the two practically non-existent as he murmured soothingly to Bolin, "shh, it's okay Bo, it's okay."

Asami stood there, hesitating. This felt… private, something she was an intruder to. The boys had grown up together, had lived basically their whole lives taking care of one another. She bit her lip, watching as they held together a bond she could never have with either of them.

She felt a stab of longing, one that nearly sent her crashing into the table. Asami's heart held a sudden ache for her family, for her father.

Not the man who had hidden, lied, and betrayed her; the man who had helped create rifts between the city and who had constructed weapons that would hurt, injure, _kill _people. She wanted her father, the greying-haired, glass-wearing man with the mind of a dreamer. The father who she remembered – with his bubbly laugh and selfless actions, who had made sure she could protect herself and held her when even the defense classes couldn't help keep away the hurt.

And oh, how she missed her mom. The way the room seemed to light up when she smiled, her down-to-earth attitude. It never mattered that they could afford as many servants as they wanted – her mom taught her how to treat everyone, benders and non-benders, low class and high, rude and respected, with equality and dignity. Asami sure could have used a hug from her mom right about then.

So when Mako, without even glancing at her, pulled one hand free and motioned towards her, she fell into it without question.

It was quiet for a long time, the only noises being made the occasional deep breath or sniffle. Finally, they all pulled away, keeping contact as they looked at each other.

Bolin laughed shakily. "So, maybe I should freak out more often if it ends in group hugs." The mournful atmosphere immediately dissolved as the group burst into a fit of laughter. Asami wiped away her trailing tears, still chuckling.

"So…" She said, forcing herself to focus back to the task at hand. "If what you say is true, Mako, and by Agni I hope it is, then Korra's… what?"

She could tell she had stumped the boy, watching his eyebrows furrow. "I don't know," he said honestly, his shoulders dropping sadly. "I just feel like I would know if she _had_ died, don't you?"

"No, no, that makes sense," Bolin said, his voice much stronger, "I mean, I don't think something like that could totally evade our notice."

"So what do we do about it?" Mako asked.

"We don't know what's happened to Korra," the heiress said getting to her feet. "But we do know one thing – those spirits are dangerous, and they're after something. I swear by my name that we won't let them get away with this." She outstretched her fist in front of her, looking down at the two brothers. Bolin grabbed it and got up, keeping his hand there.

"I don't know about you guys, but I want to make them pay for this." He growled, a determined aura wafting off of him. They turned to look at his brother, still seated on the ground.

Mako stood up, grabbing his scarf off the table. The heiress watched as smoke began to curl off of it, water dripping onto the ground. Within moments, it was dry, the fingerprints thawed off as if they had never been there. He wrapped the scarf around his neck, and then put his palm on top of theirs. His eyes flashed dangerously.

"Let's end this."

* * *

**See, I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I generally try and just let my fingers think for me. Soooo I guess this is how the rest of Team Avatar's plot will start! LOL **

**I'm still freaking out over book 2 UGH**

**REVIEWS**

_**maila08: **_**Right? She could be screwed. And UGH I KNOW I mean I still love her but she was so not giving Mako any chance to be nice! God HAHA**

_**leafysummers:**_** Well, if this last chapter helped at all... LOL And thanks so much!**

_**Black Dragon Master: **_**I have honestly no complaints with the new episodes other than Korra needs to calm her crap LOL I screamed the whole forty minutes XDD and thanks!**

_**J (Guest): **_**Korra was SUCH a little crap! Yes, fair enough, but come on, MAKO IS SUCH AN ADORKABLE pErsoN. I'm glad you liked the chapter, thanks!**

_**Guest:**_** Awww, thanks! I hope I'm improving LOL doesn't feel like it. I'm _such _a Percy Jackson fan, less than a month until House of Hades I'm DYINGG.**

_**KorraXmako (Guest): **_**Well, Yue seemed like a good way to start off her spiritual journey! Please tell me after you soiled yourself from excitement you changed XDDD but it was so great! OMG RIGHT I JUST KEPT THINKING THE BOAT I TOTALLY CALLED THE BOAT SUCK IT. LOL**

_**Guest:**_** I really hope so! I pride myself on being entertaining ;) LOL Yeah, but that's what I like about the two series'... they're different! I don't feel like Korra's exactly like Aang, which is awesome because I already have Aang, I don't need another one! Okay good that pissed me off to no end that Asami isn't even shown in episode 2 like wtf HAHA**

_**Anne (Guest): **_**I already watched it twice ;) I wanna watch it again though. Yeah, but I totally see why she would be like that - People are lying to her left and right and she's so stressed and stuff. "Stellar" I like that word! And thanks so much for the encouragement!**

**OKAY WAIT I HAVE TO QUOTE EPISODE 2 SO WATCH OUT BECAUSE IVE BEEN FREAKING OUT SINCE FRIDAY ABOUT THIS. **

**Korra: "It's hard being the Avatar."**

**Mako: "It's harder being the Avatar's boyfriend."**

**AHHHHHH**

**~sistergrimm97**


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